Active and dormant Icelandic volcanoes. Icelandic volcano paralyzes air traffic
In the spring of 2010, after more than 200 years of dormancy, a volcano under the Eyjafjallajokull glacier became more active in Iceland. The first time the volcano made itself felt on March 20, but the "trial" eruption did not lead to any serious consequences. On April 14, it began to erupt again and threw a huge amount of ash into the air, due to which it was necessary to almost completely stop air traffic over Europe.
The volcano under the Eyjafjallajokull glacier (Eyjafjallajokull, you can listen to the correct pronunciation of this word) does not have its own name, therefore in the media it is customary to call it by the name of the glacier. He wakes up on average once every two hundred years. Over the last millennium, it entered the active phase 4 times, the last one between 1821 and 1823. The eruptions did not result in any particularly serious destruction, despite the fact that the volcano is located 200 kilometers from the capital of Iceland, Reykjavik. In the 19th century, eruptions were limited to ash emissions, which, however, were quite toxic due to the high fluorine content.
The fact that the Icelandic volcano will wake up this spring became known back in 2009, when seismologists recorded in the vicinity of the glacier a large number of weak, magnitude up to 3, earthquakes. In early March, more than three thousand earthquakes were recorded on the Eyyafyatlayokudl glacier, which clearly indicated an impending eruption. On March 20, the volcano finally woke up, the first eruption began.
The power of the eruptions was relatively low: local travel companies even began to organize helicopter rides to Eyyafyatlayokudl. However, about 500 farmers were evacuated from the vicinity of the glacier, and local and international flights in Iceland were suspended. By the evening of the next day, when it became known that the awakened volcano did not yet pose any danger, everyone emergency measures were canceled, and the evacuated citizens were allowed to return home a few more days later.
Scientists have established observation of the volcano. Magma continued to flow from faults in the glacier almost until the second major eruption, which occurred on April 14.
If the first signs of volcanic activity in 200 years near Reykjavik went almost unnoticed, then the second eruption affected the life of the whole of Europe. First, it turned out to be about twenty times more powerful than the first. Secondly, magma began to erupt not from several faults in different parts glacier, but from one crater. The red-hot rock began to melt the glacier and provoked a small flood in local areas, from where the authorities hastily evacuated about a thousand farmers.
Well, the main cause of concern was the huge amount of ash thrown out by the eruption into the atmosphere. The ash cloud rose to a height of about 6-10 kilometers and spread to the territory of Great Britain, Denmark and the Scandinavian countries and the countries of the Baltic region. The appearance of ash was not long in coming in Russia - in the vicinity of St. Petersburg, Murmansk and a number of other cities. On the evening of April 15, it looked something like this.
Volcanic ash settles for a very long time (the cloud after the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano settled only after it circled the Earth twice), and poses a great danger to aircraft. The Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute named after Zhukovsky notes that ash particles, when they enter the engines, form so-called glassy "shirts" on the rotor blades and can lead to their stop. Also, ash impairs visibility, adversely affects the stability of radio communications and can damage on-board electronics. For safety reasons, flights in places where it accumulates are prohibited.
The decision to restrict the movement of aircraft in Europe was made immediately after the scale of the eruption on the Eyjafjallajokull glacier became apparent. Already on the afternoon of April 15, all flights were canceled at London Heathrow, except for emergency ones. This was followed by cancellations and rescheduling of flights at other airports across Europe. France closed 24 airports, by Thursday evening, airports in Berlin and Hamburg were closed, and then in others German cities. As the cloud moved across Europe, more and more flight cancellations followed, including flights across the Atlantic Ocean and even to Australia and New Zealand.
Air traffic is limited in Minsk, the Russian Aeroflot canceled about 20 flights in European cities. The Khrabrovo airport in Kaliningrad is completely closed for the reception and departure of aircraft, the same measures have been taken at airports bordering on Kaliningrad region Lithuania. In total, about 4,000 flights were canceled on Thursday, on Friday this number could rise to 11,000.
Among those affected by flight delays are thousands of tourists stranded at airports and many businessmen whose plans and business negotiations were thwarted. No exceptions were made even for the first persons of states - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin had to cancel his working trip to Murmansk and stay in Moscow.
Also, the visit of the heads of many states to Poland for President Lech Kaczynski, which is scheduled for April 18, remains under threat. The airspace of Poland has been blocked almost completely since early Friday morning, only the Krakow airport is functioning (the Polish president will be buried in the Krakow castle), however, most flights have been canceled or postponed indefinitely. However, there is no talk of postponing the date of the funeral of Kaczynski, who died in a plane crash near Smolensk.
Last time Europe and the world as a whole faced such a massive flight cancellation only in 2001, when planes hijacked by terrorists destroyed the Twin Towers in New York. Panic then, for obvious reasons, was much more, as well as fears for the lives of passengers.
When everything is back to normal this case, unclear. On the one hand, airport representatives are trying not to escalate panic and promise to resume flights by the end of Friday or at least by Saturday, on the other hand, scientists warn that the ash will affect air traffic for several more weeks, or even months. According to preliminary data, the eruption will cost airlines about a billion dollars.
Volcanoes are frightening and attract a person to them. For centuries they can sleep. An example is the recent history of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano. People cultivate fields on the slopes of fiery mountains, conquer their peaks, build houses. But sooner or later, the fire-breathing mountain will wake up, bringing destruction and misfortune.
It is the sixth largest glacier in Iceland, located in the south, 125 km east of Reykjavik. Under it and partly under the neighboring Myrdalsjökull glacier, a conical volcano hides.
The height of the top of the glacier is 1666 meters, its area is about 100 km². The volcanic crater reaches a diameter of 4 km. Five years ago its slopes were covered with glaciers. Nearest locality- the village of Skougar, located in the south of the glacier. From here the Skogau river starts, with the famous Skogafoss waterfall.
Eyyafyatlayokudl - the origin of the name
The name of the volcano comes from three Icelandic words that mean island, glacier and mountain. Perhaps that is why it is so difficult to pronounce and hard to remember. According to linguists, only a small part of the inhabitants of the Earth can pronounce this name correctly - Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano. Translation from Icelandic sounds literally like "island of mountain glaciers."
Volcano without a name
As such, the phrase "volcano Eyyafyatlayokudl" entered the world lexicon in 2010. This is funny, considering that in fact, a fire-breathing mountain with that name does not exist in nature. Iceland has many glaciers and volcanoes. There are about thirty of the latter on the island. At 125 kilometers from Reykjavik, in the south of Iceland, there is a fairly large glacier. It was he who shared his name with the volcano Eyyafyatlayokudl.
It is under it that there is a volcano, which for many centuries has not come up with a name. He is unnamed. In April 2010, he alarmed the whole of Europe, for some time becoming a world newsmaker. In order not to name it in the media, it was proposed to name it by the name of the glacier - Eyyafyatlayokudl. In order not to confuse our readers, we will call it the same.
Description
Eyjafjallajokull is a typical stratovolcano. In other words, its cone is formed by numerous layers of solidified mixture of lava, ash, stones, etc.
Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano has been active for 700,000 years, but since 1823 it has been categorized as dormant. This suggests that with early XIX centuries of eruptions it was not recorded. The state of the Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano did not cause particular cause for concern for scientists. They found that it had erupted several times over the past millennium. True, these manifestations of activity could be classified as calm - they did not pose a danger to people. As evidenced by the documents, the latest eruptions were not distinguished by large emissions of volcanic ash, lava and hot gases.
Irish volcano Eyyafyatlayokudl - the story of one eruption
As already mentioned, after the eruption in 1823, the volcano was recognized as dormant. At the end of 2009, seismic activity intensified in it. Until March 2010, there were about a thousand tremors with a force of 1-2 points. This disturbance occurred at a depth of about 10 km.
In February 2010, employees of the Icelandic Meteorological Institute, using GPS measurements, recorded a displacement in the area of the glacier earth's crust 3 cm to the southeast. Activity continued to grow and reached its maximum by March 3-5. At this time, up to three thousand shocks per day were recorded.
Waiting for the eruption
From danger zone around the volcano, the authorities decided to evacuate 500 local residents, fearing flooding of the area, which could cause intense flooding of Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano. Keflavik International Airport was closed as a precaution.
Since March 19, the tremors have moved to the east of the northern crater. They were tapped at a depth of 4 - 7 km. Gradually, the activity spread further to the east, and shaking began to occur closer to the surface.
At 23:00 on April 13, Icelandic scientists recorded seismic activity in the central part of the volcano, west of the two cracks that had formed. An hour later, a new eruption began in the south of the central caldera. A column of hot ash rose 8 km.
Another crack appeared, more than 2 kilometers long. The glacier began to actively melt, and its waters flowed both north and south into populated areas. 700 people were urgently evacuated. During the day, meltwater flooded the highway, the first destruction occurred. Volcanic ash has been recorded in southern Iceland.
By April 16, the ash column had reached 13 kilometers. This caused alarm among scientists. When the ash rises above 11 kilometers above sea level, it enters the stratosphere and can be carried over long distances. The spread of ash in an easterly direction was facilitated by a powerful anticyclone over the North Atlantic.
Last eruption
This happened on March 20, 2010. On this day, the last volcanic eruption in Iceland began. Eyjafjallajokull finally woke up at 23:30 GMT. A fault formed in the east of the glacier, the length of which was about 500 meters.
At this time, no large ash emissions were recorded. On April 14, the eruption intensified. It was then that powerful emissions of gigantic volumes of volcanic ash appeared. As a result, it was closed air space over part of Europe until April 20, 2010. Occasionally, flights were limited in May 2010. Experts estimated the intensity of the eruption on the VEI scale at 4 points.
Dangerous Ash
It should be noted that there was nothing outstanding in the behavior of the Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano. After seismic activity, which lasted several months, in the area of the glacier on the night of March 20-21, a rather calm volcanic eruption began. It was not even mentioned in the press. Everything changed only on the night of April 13-14, when the eruption began to be accompanied by the release of a gigantic volume of volcanic ash, and its column reached a great height.
What caused the air transport collapse?
It is worth recalling that since March 20, 2010, an air transport collapse has loomed over the Old World. It was associated with a volcanic cloud, which was created by the suddenly awakened Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano. It is not known where this mountain, silent since the 19th century, gained strength, but gradually a huge cloud of ash, which began to form on April 14, covered Europe.
More than 300 airports across Europe have been paralyzed since airspace was closed. The volcanic ash also caused a lot of anxiety to Russian specialists. Hundreds of flights have been delayed or completely canceled in our country. Thousands of people, including Russians, were waiting for an improvement in the situation at airports around the world.
And the cloud of volcanic ash seemed to play with people, changing the direction of movement daily and completely “did not listen” to the opinions of experts who reassured desperate people that the eruption would not last long.
Geophysicists from the Icelandic weather service told RIA Novosti on April 18 that they were unable to predict the duration of the eruption. Mankind prepared for a protracted "battle" with the volcano and began to count considerable losses.
Oddly enough, but for Iceland itself, the awakening of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano did not have any serious consequences, except, perhaps, for the evacuation of the population and the temporary closure of one airport.
And for continental Europe, a huge column of volcanic ash has become a real disaster, of course, in the transport aspect. This happened due to the fact that volcanic ash has such physical properties which are extremely dangerous for aviation. When it enters the aircraft turbine, it is able to stop the engine, which will undoubtedly lead to a terrible disaster.
The risk to aviation is greatly increased due to the large accumulation of volcanic ash in the air, which significantly reduces visibility. This is especially dangerous when landing. Volcanic ash can cause malfunctions in the operation of on-board electronics and radio equipment, on which flight safety largely depends.
Losses
The Eyjafjallajokull volcano eruption brought losses to European travel companies. They claim that their losses exceeded $ 2.3 billion, and the damage that hit the pocket every day was approximately $ 400 million.
Airlines' losses were officially estimated at $1.7 billion. The awakening of the fiery mountain affected 29% of the world's aviation. Every day more than a million passengers became hostages of the eruption.
The Russian Aeroflot also suffered. During the closure of air lines over Europe, the company did not perform 362 flights on time. Her losses were in the millions of dollars.
Expert opinions
Experts say that the volcanic cloud really poses a serious danger to aircraft. When an aircraft hits it, the crew notes very poor visibility. On-board electronics work with big interruptions.
The resulting glassy “shirts” on the engine rotor blades, clogging of the holes that are used to supply air to the engine and other parts of the aircraft, can cause their failure. The captains of the airships agree with this.
Volcano Katla
After the activity of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano faded, many scientists predicted an even more powerful eruption of another Icelandic fiery mountain - Katla. It is much larger and more powerful than Eyyafyatlayokudl.
For the last two millennia, when man watched the eruptions of Eyyafyatlayokudl, Katla also exploded after them at intervals of six months.
These volcanoes are located in the south of Iceland, at a distance of eighteen kilometers from each other. They are connected by a common underground system magma channels. The Katla crater is located under the Myrdalsjokull glacier. Its area is 700 sq. km, thickness - 500 meters. Scientists are sure that during its eruption, ash will fall into the atmosphere ten times more than in 2010. But fortunately, despite the menacing forecasts of scientists, Katla has not yet shown signs of life.
Calling Iceland a country of volcanoes is no exaggeration. In a small area of this island nation, you can easily count more than a hundred volcanoes! Many of them are active. We invite you to learn more about Iceland's most famous volcanoes and their eruptions.
The geography of the island determined the nature of its landscape. In fact, Iceland is a volcanic plateau, the height of which does not exceed 2000 meters above sea level. That is why there are so many thermal springs, real lava fields, glaciers and volcanoes.
Volcanoes and deserts occupy the entire central part islands, so large area Iceland is uninhabitable. The population of Iceland occupies the valleys and coastal zones of the island, which is located on the border of two lithospheric plates– North American and Eurasian. Here is one of the most high levels volcanic activity. Of the hundred Icelandic volcanoes, 25, that is, a whole quarter, have been active during the last thousand years. Below we will talk about the most popular of them.
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Volcano Hekla - business card Iceland, so its name is on everyone's lips. This is the same symbol of the country as the Japanese Fujiyama. Researchers of the volcano and its ash found that it has been active for the last 6,000 years, that is, a very long period. The last eruption of Hekla was recorded 8 years ago - in 2000. This is one of the most significant Icelandic volcanoes - the height of Hekla is almost one and a half kilometers - 1488 meters. Because of the fog and clouds, the peak of the volcano resembles the head of a monk covered with a hood - it is because of the resemblance to the traditional Icelandic outfit "hekla" that the volcano got its name.
A characteristic feature of this volcano is unpredictability, which significantly complicates the formation of reliable forecasts about its future activity. Some Hekla eruptions last no more than two weeks, while others can drag on for many months. For example, the longest eruption of this Icelandic volcano lasted from March 1947 to April 1948. The only accurate conclusion that scientists have made on this moment, lies in the fact that a longer period of calm of the volcano gives rise to a much longer and more powerful eruption.
The most powerful, five-magnitude eruptions of Hekla were recorded BC in 950 and 1159, when fragments of volcanic rocks scattered over a distance of up to 7.3 kilometers. The consequence of such strong eruptions was a volcanic winter - a significant decrease in the temperature of the northern hemisphere for years. The force of Hekla's eruptions further gave rise to its fame as one of the three entrances to hell, along with Vesuvius.
In general, since 874, more than 20 eruptions of this volcano have been counted! Given the low predictability of outbreaks of activity, Hekla is considered a very dangerous natural object.
Today, the Icelandic Public Protection Department is again talking about the possible awakening of Hekla based on the movement air masses. Therefore, tourists and local residents it is strongly not recommended to be near the volcano. Although in its "calm" time, Hekla is a real magnet for tourists from all over the world.
Location: Sydurland region, Iceland, the nearest town is Selfoss.
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Laki is a powerful shield-type volcano (most of the local volcanoes belong to it).
It is notorious far beyond the borders of Iceland due to the catastrophic eruption that brought numerous victims and had a huge impact on everything. North hemisphere generally. In 1783, the volcano "came to life" and poisoned the atmosphere with poisonous gases for many months. All eight months of the Laki eruptions were accompanied by explosions and lava flows. The craters and fissures of the volcano, covering an area of about 23 square kilometers, exuded basalt rock all this time. Of the maximum 8 points on a scale that assesses the explosiveness of the volcano, he was assigned a 6 - point rating.
14.7 cubic kilometers of lava was thrown out by this volcano during the eruption. This huge amount would easily be enough to pour Big City. The power of the Laki eruption in 1783-1784 was equated to the eruptions of Krakatoa and Tambora, the most powerful active volcanoes. Lucky's "deceit" consisted in a long eruption, which slowly poisoned the air for many kilometers around.
Scientists have determined that the 1783 Laki eruption began with a series of earthquakes, probably starting weeks before the first eruption. It is tremors that often provoke the onset of an eruption. Earthquakes, one after another, "opened" cracks on the surface of the volcano, from which ash escaped and entire lava fountains rose. The height of the ash emission could reach 15 kilometers! Due to the huge speed with which the lava erupted - and it reached 8600 cubic meters per second - the eruption of the Laki volcano is often compared with a basalt flood in Siberia that occurred millions of years ago.
The volcano began to act in June and in the first five months poured out about 90% of the lava. Part of the lava flows freely passed a distance of up to 35 kilometers in 1-2 days. The total length of the lava flow exceeded 130 kilometers. The situation was aggravated by the simultaneous eruption of the Grimsvötn volcano located near Laki. Over the entire period of the "double" eruption, 8 tons of carbon fluoride and about 122 million tons of sulfur dioxide entered the atmosphere, the consequences of which were detrimental to many countries.
victims terrible disaster first of all, the Icelanders themselves became. About 10,000 people (22% of the total population of the country) died from starvation and diseases caused by the consequences of the eruption. Livestock was literally destroyed - about 60% of the local livestock also died. Caused by sulfur dioxide acid rain and poisonous mists destroyed vegetation, including vast areas of agricultural crops. In Iceland, this sad period became known as the Disaster in the Mist.
The consequences of the catastrophe were quickly felt by Europe, and later even by China. A cold snap in the Northern Hemisphere caused massive crop failures and famine in many European countries. This Laki eruption is recognized as the largest in terms of the amount of lava poured out and one of the most catastrophic in terms of consequences over the past millennium.
Location: nature Park Skaftafell, Iceland.
Travel to the Volcanoes of Iceland in 2019:
| Name | Timing | Price |
| 01.06 - 12.06 | 1990 € 1 | |
| 12.06 - 22.06 | 1790 € 1 | |
| 24.07 - 03.08 | 1790 € 1 | |
| 03.08 - 14.08 | 1990 € 1 | |
| 14.08 - 24.08 | 1790 € 1 |
( 1 ) - Attention! Prices are indicated with a 10% discount, valid for full payment of the tour no later than 4 months before the trip.
Katla is another famous Icelandic volcano that erupts every 40 to 80 years. The next awakening of this volcano was noted in 2011. Then an earthquake occurred in the caldera (basin) of the volcano, and the magma began to move.
The power of the Katla volcano significantly exceeds the power of the neighboring Eyjafyatlayokudl, although the latter, during the eruption in 2010, almost completely paralyzed aviation over the territory of Europe. Therefore, the full awakening of Katla is fraught with much more serious consequences than problems with air traffic. The biggest problems during the awakening of Katla will be caused by the melting of the glacier, the waters of which can flood vast territories.
Part of the top of the volcano is covered by the Mirdalsjokull glacier, together with the Eldyau canyon they form the Katla volcano system, with a length of 595 square kilometers. The volcano's caldera is "wrapped" by a thick layer of ice.
Between 930 and 1918, this volcano became active 16 times. On the scale of explosiveness, most of these eruptions had a VEI index of at least 4-6 points, with a maximum of 8 points. To date, Katla has not erupted for 100 years - since 1918, no activity has been recorded on the volcano.
By the way, it was Katla that erupted for many years, starting in 934. Then the volcano poured out so much lava that it would easily cover the entire island of Manhattan with a layer whose thickness would be ... 275 meters.
Katla is believed to be the cause of the layer of ash found in cores from Scotland, Denmark and the North Atlantic. The last recorded eruption of this volcano lasted no less than 24 days, then, in 1918, the eruption allowed the coast of Iceland to grow by as much as 5000 meters. Minor eruption in over modern time was noted in 2011.
Despite a long period of calm, Katla has been showing signs of life for about 19 years. Scientists believe that her concern is related to the eruptions of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano, which is located nearby. This point of view is quite justified - after all, three times the activity of a volcano with an unpronounceable name has become a trigger for the Katla eruption. Volcanic activity in the Katla crater and magma mobility have been observed since 2010.
Interestingly, Katla is a very popular option. female name used by the islanders. Probably, the humorous Icelanders simply ignore the connection between the name and the character. It sounds beautiful!
Location: North of Vik village, southern Iceland.
Askja - the so-called stratovolcano - a volcano consisting of many layers of hardened ash and lava, having a conical shape. Askya was born about 10,000 years ago. The volcano rises above sea level to a height of 1510 meters.
Lake Escuwaten
Due to the powerful eruption of Askja, which occurred in 1875, the funnel of the crater itself was formed due to the collapse of the top of the volcano under the action of lava and ash coming to the surface. After that, a lake appeared in the crater filled with water, which can still be seen there. The lake was named Oskjuvatn. Today it is the owner of the maximum depth in Iceland - it is 220 meters. The lake is hidden by rocks and only in the east you can approach it and even plunge into the cool bluish water.
In 1907, an expedition was undertaken to Askew, which ended tragically. Presumably, its participants drowned in the waters of Lake Esquiten. The expedition was led by Walter von Knebel, it was he and the artist Max Rudolf who died, or rather disappeared on July 10, 1907. Subsequently, Knebel's bride made an attempt to find him here, which, however, was unsuccessful. Monuments in honor of scientists have been erected on two banks of the Viti crater.
Lake Viti
The second unique creation of Askja is the hot lake Viti. This depression north of Lake Escuwaten was also formed during the 1875 eruption. Viti is a caldera - a pit of volcanic origin. The water that accumulates here forms a lake. The milky-blue shade of water remains warm at any time of the year - its temperature does not fall below 20 degrees. And this is in winter! In the warm season, the water temperature fluctuates between 36 - 43 degrees. A very specific hydrogen sulfide smell radiates from the water. By the way, the descent to the lake is quite dangerous because of the steep clay banks, which become very slippery in wet weather.
The Askja volcano itself amazes researchers and travelers with its scale and regular round shape. Located in the center of a gently sloping lava plateau, the volcano seems especially huge. Brave travelers can make a hike along the perimeter of the crater - this is 8 kilometers of the way, and not the easiest way - the weather here often changes, and when strong wind a walk along the steep slopes of the crater turns into a dangerous adventure, which is not recommended at all.
Askya - active volcano- the depth of the lake in the crater continues to grow and back in 1961 the volcano erupted.
The Askja volcano is located on the Odadahraun lava plateau (the territory of the Vatnajökull National Park).
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The Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull became world famous when it erupted in 2010. Despite the 8 years that have passed since the eruption, the name of this volcano to this day remains on everyone's lips. Since 2010, this volcano has become the most discussed and visited natural attraction in Iceland.
The compound name of the volcano, in fact, consists of a combination of the words island, glacier and mountain. Which is quite true - the volcano is located on the territory of the glacier, the total area of \u200b\u200bwhich is 100 square kilometers. The size of the crater is about 4 square kilometers.
For most people, pronouncing the name of a volcano the first time is not an easy task. To alleviate the fate of tourists, the volcano was awarded a second, abbreviated name - Eyyafjoll. Conveniently!
Volcanic eruptions, according to research, did not occur too often - in 920, 1612 (or 1613) and the largest, which occurred from late 1821 to early 1822. During the eruptions, there was a powerful release of tephra - a variety of matter ejected by volcanoes. Also, the ejaculations of Eyjafjallajokull awakened the activity of Katla, a much more powerful volcano located 25 kilometers away.
For two hundred years, the volcano "rested" after a long eruption in 1821-1822, but in March 2010 the volcano woke up again to declare itself.
The last volcanic eruption started by throwing a column of ash and smoke into the air. They were followed by powerful ejections of lava. The starting point of the eruption was an earthquake recorded at 22.30 on March 20, 2010 at a depth of about 10,000 meters. Approximately half an hour after the start of seismic activity, a lava cloud was discovered erupting from a crevice located between the Katla and Eyyafyadlayokudl volcanoes.
However, until April, the activity of the volcano was not too high. Starting from April 14, ash emissions become more powerful and provoke a cessation of air traffic over Europe for the period from April 16 to 20 and partly for May. The strength of the eruption was estimated at 4 points on the VEI scale.
Today, the volcano attracts many tourists from all over the world. And his popularity does not even think to decline! Excursions are conducted on the territory of the eruption, there is also a museum dedicated to the volcano. Part of the lava flow during the eruption passed through private territory - it was her owners who decided to turn this place into a tourist center. Here you can walk through the area where the lava flowed and watch a film about the volcano in the museum, which more fully reflects the consequences of its eruption in 2010.
Eyjafjallajökull volcano location - 125 kilometers east of Reykjavik. The nearest village is Skougar. The arm of Skaugau originates from the glacier - here is the famous Skogafoss waterfall.
In general, there are so many volcanoes in Iceland that it is simply not possible to tell about them all in one article. Each of them - unique phenomenon nature - beautiful, and at the same time, dangerous.
And we're going to. You have every chance to see the majestic volcanoes of this island with your own eyes! Join now! It will be interesting.
For many people, the concept of "volcano" is associated with a high mountain, from the top of which a fountain of gas, ash and flame bursts into the sky, and the slopes are filled with red-hot lava. Irish volcanoes are not very similar to classical volcanoes. The vast majority of them are not impressive in height. Only a few "stepped over" the mark of 2 km, the rest stay within 1-1.5 km, and many even less. For example, Hverfjadl, Eldfell, Surtsey barely reach a height of several hundred meters, more like ordinary hills. But these seemingly peaceful and safe creations of mother nature in reality can bring trouble no less than the famous Etna or Vesuvius. We invite you to get to know them better, and let's start with their homeland.
harsh island
Nature loves to surprise. For example, she created the island of Iceland by raising part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge above the ocean, and just in the place of a huge tectonic seam. Its one of which is the foundation of Eurasia, and the second - North America, are still gradually dispersing, thereby prompting Icelandic volcanoes to be active. Small and large eruptions occur here approximately every 4-6 years.
The climate of Iceland, given the proximity of its location to the Arctic Circle, can be called mild. warm summer here, however, does not happen. But also harsh winters are also rare, but there is a lot of precipitation. It would seem that unusually favorable conditions for various kinds of vegetation, which should thrive here with fantastic strength. But in reality, 3/4 of the island's territory is a rocky plateau, in some places covered with mosses and rare herbs. In addition, out of 103,000 square km, about 12,000 are occupied by glaciers. This is the natural landscape that surrounds the Icelandic volcanoes and adorns their slopes. In addition to those visible to the eye, there are many volcanoes around the island, hidden by the thickness of the icy ocean waters. All together there are almost one and a half hundred of them, among which 26 are active.
Geological features
Icelandic volcanoes are overwhelmingly shield-shaped in shape. They are formed by liquid lava, which repeatedly poured out to the surface from the bowels of the Earth. Such mountain formations have the appearance of a convex shield with rather gentle slopes. Their peaks are crowned with craters, and more often so-called calderas, which are huge basins with a more or less even bottom and steep walls. The diameter of the caldera is measured in kilometers, and the height of the walls - hundreds of meters. Shield volcanoes tend to overlap due to lava pouring out of them. As a result, an extensive volcanic shield is formed, which is observed on the island of Iceland. They are composed mainly of basalt rocks, which spread like water in the molten state.
In addition to shield volcanoes, Iceland has stratovolcanoes. These have the shape of a cone with steeper slopes, since the lava erupting from them is viscous, hardens quickly, before it has time to spill over many kilometers. A prime example of this type of education is famous volcano Iceland Hekla or, for example, Askja.
By location, terrestrial, underwater and under-ice mountain formations are distinguished, and by "life activity" - dormant and active. In addition, there are many small mud volcanoes spewing not lava, but gases and mud.
"Gateway to Hell"
So dubbed the volcano in the south of Iceland, called Hekla. It is considered one of the most active, since eruptions occur here almost every 50 years. The last time this happened was at the end of February 2000. Hekla looks like a majestic white cone rushing into the sky. In form it is a stratovolcano, and by its nature it is part of a mountain range that stretches for 40 km. It is all restless, but it shows the highest activity in the area of the Geklugya fissure, 5500 m long, belonging to Gekla. From Icelandic, this word can be translated as "hood and cloak." This is due to the fact that its top is often covered with clouds. Now the slopes of Hekla are practically lifeless, but once trees and shrubs grew on them, grasses raged. Not so long ago, work began in the country to restore fauna on this volcano, mainly willows and birches.
Iceland has suffered from seismic activity in this area more than once. Volcano Hekla (according to scientists) has been actively spitting lava onto the surface of the Earth for 6600 years. Studying volcanic layers, seismologists have found that the strongest eruption here happened in the interval from 950 to 1150 years. BC. According to the amount of ash thrown into the atmosphere then, he was given 5 points out of 7 possible. The power of the eruption was such that the air temperature in the entire Northern Hemisphere of the Earth dropped for several years. The oldest documented eruption on Hekla happened in 1104, and the longest - in 1947. It lasted more than a year. In general, on Hekla all eruptions are unique, and all are different. There is only one regularity here - the longer this volcano sleeps, the more it then rages.
Askya
One of the most "tourist" and most picturesque is this volcano, located in the eastern part of the island, in the Vatnajökull National Park, named after a huge glacier (the largest in Iceland and the third largest in the world). Askya is located at its northern edge and is not covered with ice. It rises 1510 meters above the plateau and is famous for its lakes - the large Escuvati and the small Viti, which appeared in the caldera due to the Askja eruption in 1875. Esquivati, with a depth of about 220 meters, is considered the deepest lake in the country. Viti is much smaller - only up to 7 meters deep. It attracts hundreds of tourists with the unusual milky blue color of the water and the fact that its temperature can rise to +60 degrees Celsius and never drops below +20 degrees. Mirror Viti is almost perfectly round, and the banks are very high (from 50 m) and steep. The angle of their slopes exceeds 45 degrees. Translated from Icelandic, “Viti” means “hell”, which is facilitated by the smell of sulfur that is constantly present here. The last eruption of the Icelandic volcano Askja happened in 1961, and since then it has been dormant, although it is considered active. This does not frighten tourists at all, who visit Askya so actively that they even laid 2 tourist routes here, and a campsite was built 8 km from the caldera dish.
Baurdarbunga
The name of the Icelandic volcano Baurdarbunga is often shortened to Bardarbunga. It arose on behalf of Baurdur. That was the name of one of the ancient settlers of the island, who apparently lived in these places, since in Icelandic “Baurdarbunga” means “Baurdur’s hill”. Now it is deserted and deserted, only hunters and tourists wander here, and even then only in summer. The volcano is a neighbor of Askja, but is located a little to the south, just under the edge of the Vatnajökull glacier. This is a relatively high (2009 meters) stratovolcano, periodically "pleasing" with its eruptions. One of the largest, which received 6 points, happened in 1477.
The latest "trick" of the Icelandic volcano Bardarbunga pretty ruffled the nerves of the inhabitants of the island, especially airline workers. In 1910, there was an eruption here, but not very strong, after which the mountain calmed down. And now, after almost a hundred years, namely in 2007, seismologists again noticed its activity, which gradually increased. The maximum was expected from minute to minute.
eruption
At the beginning of the summer of 2014, instruments recorded significant movements of magma in the Bardarbunga chamber. On August 17, tremors of magnitude 3.8 occurred in the area of the volcano, and on the 18th their magnitude increased to 4.5 points. Residents of nearby villages and tourists were urgently evacuated, part of the roads were blocked, and a yellow code was announced for airlines. The eruption of the Icelandic volcano Bardarbunga began on the 23rd. The color of the code was immediately changed to red, and all flights over the area were banned. Although the 4.9-5.5 quake continued, there was no particular danger to the airliners, and by evening the color of the code was changed to orange. On the 29th, magma appeared. It splashed out of the mouth of the volcano and spread in the direction of Askya, going beyond the glacier. The color of the code was again raised to red, halting all flights over the volcano, making it much more difficult for airlines to operate. Since the magma spread quite peacefully, by the evening of the 29th, the color of the code was again reduced to orange. And on August 31 at 7 in the morning, magma splashed out from the fault that had arisen earlier. new force. The width of its flow reached 1 km, and the length - 3 km. The code turned red again, and in the evening again fell to orange. In this spirit, the eruption lasted until the end of February 2015, after which the volcano began to fall asleep. After 16 days, tourists again poured in.
Eyyafjadlayeküll
Only 0.005% of earthlings can correctly pronounce this name of the Icelandic volcano. Eyyafyadlayekyudl - something close to "true" in the Russian version. Although this volcano is located in the south of the island (125 km from Reykjavik), it was completely covered by a glacier, which was given the same complex name. The area of the glacier is more than 100 square km. At its top is the source of the Skogau River, and a little lower fall the waterfalls Skogafoss and Kvernyuvoss, which are attractive for tourists. A more or less significant eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull happened in 1821. And although it lasted almost 13 months, it did not cause trouble, except for the thawing of the glacier, since its intensity did not exceed 2 points. This volcano was considered so trustworthy that the village of Skougar was even founded on its southern tip. And suddenly, in March 2010, Eyyafyadlayeküll woke up again. A 500-meter fault appeared in its eastern part, from which clouds of ash soared into the air. It was all over by the beginning of May. This time the intensity of the eruption reached 4 points. Now the slopes of the volcano are covered not with ice, but with green vegetation. Many are interested in which Icelandic city is closest to the Eyjafjallajökull volcano. Here it is worth mentioning the village of Skougar, which has as many as 25 inhabitants. The next is the village of Holt, then Hvolsvulur and the town of Selfoss, located about 50 km from the mountain.
Katla
This volcano is located just 20 km from Eyjafjallajökull and is more hectic. Its height is 1512 meters, and the frequency of eruptions is from 40 years. Since Katla is partly covered by the Myrdalsjökull glacier, its activity is fraught with ice melting and floods, which happened in 1755, and in 1918, and in 2011. Moreover, the last time it was so large-scale that it demolished the bridge on the Mulakvisl River and destroyed the road. Scientists have absolutely precisely established that the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull every time is the impetus for the activity of Katla. In any case, this pattern has been observed since 920.
Surtsey
Active volcanoes in Iceland are extremely beneficial for Icelanders. They help to enrich the country, and the geysers located in their range are used to heat houses, greenhouses, and swimming pools. But that's not all. Volcanoes in Iceland increase the country's territory! The last time this happened was in November 1963. Then, after the eruption of underwater volcanoes, a new land area appeared near the southwestern coast of the island, called Surtsey. He became a unique reserve where scientists track the emergence of life. Formerly completely lifeless at first, Surtsey now boasts not only mosses and lichens, but even flowers and shrubs in which birds have begun to nest. Now gulls, swans, auks, petrels, puffins and others are observed here. The height of Surtsey is 154 meters, the area is 1.5 square meters. km, and it still continues to grow. It is part of the chain of underwater volcanoes Vestmannaeyjar.
Esya
This extinct volcano is famous for the fact that the capital of the state, Reykjavik, is located at its foot. When the Icelandic volcano Esja erupted for the last time, it is difficult to say, but no one is interested in it. The volcano, the top of which is visible from almost anywhere in the city, is loved by all its inhabitants and extremely popular with tourists, climbers and all connoisseurs of the harsh beauty of nature. The mountain range, of which Esja is a part, starts at the fjord above the capital and stretches to the Thingvellir National Park. The height of the volcano is about 900 meters, and its slopes, overgrown with shrubs and flowers, are extremely picturesque.
Lucky
This shield volcano is a gem of the Skaftafell National Park. It is located near the city with the simple name of Kirkjubeyarklaustur. Laki is part of the 25 km long Icelandic volcano chain, consisting of 115 craters. The volcanoes Katla and Grimsvotn are also links in this chain. The height of their craters is mostly small, about 800-900 meters. Laki Crater is located somewhere in the middle between the glaciers - the huge Vatnajokull and the relatively small Mirdalsjokull. It is considered active, but has not caused problems for more than 200 years.
Grimsvotn
This volcano is the top of the chain in which Lucky is a member. Nobody knows its exact height. Some believe that it is only 970 meters, others call the figure 1725 meters. The size of the crater is also difficult to determine, since after each eruption they increase significantly. The word "Grimsvotn" in Icelandic means "gloomy waters". It arose, perhaps, because after the volcanic eruptions, some part of the Vatnajökull glacier, which covers it, melts. Grimsvotn is considered almost the most active on the peninsula, as it is activated every 3-10 years. The last time it happened in 2011, on May 21. Smoke and ash escaping from its crater then rose 20 km into the sky. Many flights were canceled not only in Iceland, but also in Britain, Norway, Denmark, Scotland and even Germany.
fatal eruption
Lucky is currently quiet and calm. He rarely rages, but, as they say, aptly. In 1783, the once again awakened volcano in Iceland - Lucky - united the devil's power with its neighbor Grimsvotn and a boiling lava flow hit the surroundings. The length exceeded 130 km. She, sweeping away everything in her path, spilled over the territory of 565 km 2. At the same time, poisonous vapors of fluorine and sulfur swirled in the air, as in hell. As a result, thousands of animals died, almost all the birds and fish in the area. From high temperatures, the ice began to melt, their waters flooded everything that did not burn. killed 1/5 of the inhabitants of the country, and the luminous fog, observed all summer even in America, lowered the temperature throughout the northern hemisphere of the planet, causing famine in many countries. This eruption is considered the most destructive in the 1000-year history of the Earth.
Eraivajokull
These are the Icelandic volcanoes. I would like to finish our story with a story about Eraivajokull, the largest on the island. It is on it that highest point Iceland - Hvannadalshnukur peak. The volcano is located in the Skaftafell nature reserve. The height of this giant is 2119 meters, its caldera is not round, like most others similar formations, and rectangular with sides of 4 and 5 km. Eraivajokull is considered active, but its last eruption ended in May 1828, and so far it does not bother anyone anymore - it stands, covered with ice, and admires its harsh beauty.
In the spring of 2010, a volcano erupted in Iceland. A huge cloud of ash was thrown into the atmosphere, as a result of which the airspace of most of the continent was closed, and many flights were canceled. Photos of the grandiose spectacle circulated in large numbers on the Internet, and the name of the volcano - Eyjafjallajokull (Eyjafjallajokull, in translation - "Island of mountain glaciers") gave rise to many anecdotes (though, mostly in printed form, it's not so easy to pronounce this word).
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Photo spectacle
People all over the world admire the extraordinary spectacle - some live, some in the photo.
1. Lava erupts from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano against the backdrop of lightning on April 17th. (REUTERS/Lucas Jackson)
2. A volcano near the southern Eyjafjallajokull glacier sends ash into the air at sunset on April 16. Dense clouds of volcanic ash enveloped some parts countryside Iceland, and an invisible plume of sand and dust covered Europe, "clearing" the sky from the planes and forcing hundreds of thousands of people in a hurry to look for hotel rooms, train tickets and hire a taxi. (AP Photo/Brynjar Gauti)
3. A car drives along a volcanic ash-strewn road near Kirkjubaeyarklaustur. (AP Photo/Omar Oskarsson)
4. Chunks of ice from a glacier lie against the backdrop of an erupting volcano near Eyjafjallajoku on April 17. (REUTERS/Lucas Jackson)
5. An airplane flies past a pillar of smoke and ash from the Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano on April 17. (REUTERS/Lucas Jackson)
6. Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano in all its splendor. (AP Photo/Brynjar Gauti)
8. Ashes and a column of dust and dirt erupt from the crater of the Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano. (AP Photo/Arnar Thorisson/Helicopter.is)
9. An ash plume stretches south from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano over the northern part Atlantic Ocean. The picture was taken from a satellite on April 17. A volcano in Iceland erupted another portion of ash and smoke on April 19, but the ash cloud that plunged airlines and tour operators across Europe into chaos fell to a height of 2 km. (REUTERS/NERC Satellite Receiving Station, Dundee University, Scotland)
10. Lava and lightning illuminate the crater of the Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano. (REUTERS/Lucas Jackson)
11. The first of three photographs taken by Olivier Vandeginste 25 km from the crater of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano on April 18. The picture was taken with a 15 second exposure. (Olivier Vandeginste)
12. The second photo of Olivier Vandeginste, taken 25 km from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano. In this 168-second exposure, the pillars of ash are illuminated from within by numerous lightning bolts. (Olivier Vandeginste)
13. Third photograph by Olivier Vandeguinste. Lightning and hot lava illuminate parts of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano. The picture was taken with a 30 second exposure. (Olivier Vandeginste)
14. Lava fountains and flows, a volcanic plume and steam from evaporating snow are visible in this natural-color satellite image. The picture was taken on March 24 by the ALI instrument aboard the Earth Observing-1 satellite. Lava fountains (orange-red) are practically invisible through the lens of the device with a resolution of 10 meters. The cinder cone surrounding the fissure is black, as is the lava flow flowing to the northeast. White volcanic gases and lava rise from the fissure, and where lava meets snow, steam rises into the air. (The bright green stripe along the edge of the lava flow is sensor distortion.) (NASA's Earth Observatory/Robert Simmon)
15. Tourists gathered to watch the Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano spewing lava on March 27. On the morning of April 14, more than 800 people were evacuated in the area of the awakened volcano. (HALLDOR KOLBEINS/AFP/Getty Images)
16. People gathered to look at the lava flow of the Eyjafyatlayokudl volcano on March 27. (HALLDOR KOLBEINS/AFP/Getty Images)
18. Steam and hot gases rise above the lava from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano on April 3. (Ulrich Latzenhofer / CC BY-SA)
19. A farmer photographed the volcano shortly after it erupted. (Zuma Press).
20. Since many volcanoes in Iceland are covered with glaciers, they often flood them from below. The tongues of the glaciers break away from their places, releasing millions of tons of water and ice, which demolish everything in its path.
21. A picture of the volcano Eyyafyatlayokudl from space. It has three craters, ranging in size from 200 to 500 meters in diameter.
A few more photos.
Jokes and anecdotes
Written in a mixture of Icelandic and Norwegian. "Put 30 billion Euros in dumpster at the Icelandic embassy tonight, then we will turn off the volcano! Don't call the police."
Mystery of the name
In response to the actions of Iceland, Greenland begins to push into the ocean
icebergs.
New expletive: "Eyafjallajokull to you all over Europe!"
“Did you hear that Eyjafjallajokull came to life?
“Are you sure it’s not Hvannadalsnukur?”
- Of course, Hvannadalsnukur is near Kaulvafellsstadur itself, and Eyjafjallajokull is closer to Vestmannaeyjar if you go towards Snaefellsjokull.
- Thank God, otherwise I have relatives in Brunholskirkja!
If you read this dialogue aloud without hesitation, then you are an Icelander.
Patter: "Eyafyadlaekudl ejaculated, ejaculated, but did not ejaculate."
According to Mayan predictions, until all Europeans learn the word "Eyyafyaldaeküll", the volcano will not stop erupting. If it's hard for you to pronounce it, I suggest remembering the phrase: "Hey, I'm drunk, and forge with him."
We sat with you by the window, eating apple strudel. Both of us can't sleep anymore because Eyafjadlajokull.
"Eyyafyatlayokudl" - whatever you call a boat, that's how it will float.
News anchors are in quiet horror: according to rumors,
the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in the near future may be added and
pyroclastic flows from the Mexican mountain Popocatepetl.