10. Eyjafjallajokull Volcano, Iceland- April/ May 2010 Volcanic Ash spreading from Iceland across the N.Atlantic- NASA The volcano generated ash clouds that raised to between 20-35,000 ft (flying altitude) across the world’s busiest air space in NW Europe The abrasive, microscopic particles that make up volcanic ash pose a threat to aircraft because they can affect visibility and get sucked into airplane engines, causing them to shut down. Ash will also damage all forward-facing surfaces on an aircraft, such as the cockpit windshields, the wings' leading edges, the landing lights and air filters for the passenger cabin. Thousands of flights were cancelled stranding hundreds of thousands of passengers; the estimated cost was $1.7 billion

23. Haiti Earthquake, January 2010 Jan 12 2010, Magnitude 7 earthquake on Richter scale -59 major aftershocks >4.5 Depth of 8 miles, epicentre 15 miles WSW of Port Au Prince At least 220,000 died and 300,000 injured -casualties significantly increased by poor building standards 300,000 houses destroyed; 1.5 million living in tent cities Estimated $14 billion to rebuild the damaged areas Seismicity, 1900-2007 Subduction Zone Strike Slip Port au Prince Earthquake, Jan 12 2010 US Geological Survey Port Au Prince, 4 months later BBC