Title: Ashfall
Plot:
Near the distant future; Katla has erupted
After years of being overdue for an eruption, Katla, one of Iceland’s major volcanoes, has finally erupted. At first the eruption only causes a disruption in air traffic across Europe and parts of North America, but as the weeks continue the volcano proves to have become a larger international threat similar to the 1783 eruption of Laki. The global climate starts to drop, bringing upon harsher winters and crop failures across the northern hemisphere. As the sky is blanketed with a noxious mixture of poisonous and acidic gases from the volcano’s ashes, populations in various countries begin to suffer from respiratory diseases and ultimately, death. With the mortality rate rising from Katla’s short-term and long-term effects, Iceland becomes plagued by haunting nightmares and the overwhelming guilt of having claimed the lives of thousands of people.
Results:
· Glacier on top of Katla melts, washing away roads around the area
· Farms are covered with volcanic ash
· Major impact on air traffic
· Increased coughing and eye and skin irritation; lung conditions
· Cooldown in temperatures; sulfur released from volcanic eruptions can cool the Earth; sulfur forms sulfuric acid droplets that can block the sunlight hitting the Earth; these sulfur infused droplets can stay in the atmosphere for a year
· Laki eruption in the past caused extreme weather across the world and contributed to rise of respiratory diseases
· Eruption lead to acid rain (acid coating on volcanic ash is removed by rain); acid rain pollutes local water supplies and causes damage to vegetation;
livestock affected
I also have the cover page sketched out it seems. It's not outlined or coloured yet, but it has Iceland being pulled underwater by shadowy hands and arms (represented either by his nightmares in the plot, or the souls of people who died as a result)