Iceland's most famous volcano. Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull eruption

In the spring of 2010, the whole world watched the strongest eruption Icelandic volcano with an unusual and fabulous name Eyyafyatlayokudl. It has become one of the most powerful in the modern history of mankind, scientists are still discussing the consequences of this natural phenomenon.

Iceland

This island nation is often called ice kingdom, it is located between Greenland and Norway in the immediate vicinity of the Arctic Circle. The main part of Iceland is located on a volcanic plateau, so earthquakes and eruptions are common here. Despite geographical position, the climate in the region is by no means arctic, but moderately cool, with strong winds and high humidity.

Despite the harsh nature, very positive and friendly people live here. Icelandic hospitality is known all over the world. Every year in these harsh edges thousands of tourists come to see unique nature and, of course, to see the most famous volcano in Iceland - Eyjafjallajokull. After 2010, the flow of those wishing to observe this wonder of the world with their own eyes has increased markedly.

Historical reference

Iceland is located at the junction of two continental plates, the Eurasian and North American, and is considered the country with the most big amount geo thermal springs, lava fields, ice and volcanoes. There are more than a hundred of them, and twenty-five are active. The most popular volcanoes among tourists are Laki and Hekla, they have almost a hundred craters and are a unique sight.

But in 2010, the whole world learned about another attraction of Iceland - the Eyjafjallajokull volcano. Photos of lava erupting from under the glacier spread all over the world news feeds, perhaps this event did not have such popularity in the media mass media, were it not for the problems with air travel that have arisen in most of Europe.

Eyjafjallajokull is a stratovolcano whose cone is formed by layers of hardened lava and rock left there after numerous eruptions. Officially, this is not a volcano, but a glacier, the sixth largest on the island, it is located 125 kilometers from the capital of Iceland, Reykjavik. The height of the peak is 1666 m, the area of ​​the volcanic crater is 3-4 km, until 2010 it was hidden under a thick layer of ice. The previous eruption of the Eyjafyatlayokudl volcano took place from 1821 to 1823, and for two hundred years it was considered dormant.

Preceding circumstances

Almost a year before the main events, the glacier was already showing signs of high activity. In 2009, at a depth of seven kilometers, scientists noticed seismological shocks of 1-2 points. They continued for several months, and even a shift of the cortex by 3 cm was recorded.

The activity of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano worried the authorities of the region, they took the necessary measures to resettle local residents, and the nearest airport was also closed. First of all, people were afraid of flooding, since the glacier could begin to melt under the influence of the earth's heat.

Scientists have long observed activity in this area, so the victims were avoided. In total, more than 800 people left the disaster area. After the research, the possibility of flooding was ruled out and some residents returned to their homes.

Chronicle of events

On March 20, 2010, the Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano erupted late in the evening. From the fault that appeared in the glacier, smoke and ash poured out, the first emissions were small and did not reach a height of more than one kilometer. After five days, the activity dropped significantly. The reason was that melted water poured into the vent and partially extinguished the hearth.

But on March 31, a new crack formed, and for several days lava flowed abundantly from two holes at once. As it turned out, this was just the beginning. On April 13, the Icelandic volcano Eyjafyatlayokudl once again shook from tremors, as a result of which a new crack appeared at a distance of 2 km, and a column of smoke rose to a height of eight kilometers. On April 15 and 16, this figure was already 15 km, and volcanic ash reached the stratosphere, from where substances are already spreading over long distances.

Shutdown of flights in Europe

The Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull will go down in history in the 21st century thanks to the large-scale consequences of its eruption. Due to his activity, air traffic was suspended in dozens of countries. Companies suffered losses, thousands of passengers huddled in airport terminals and in the homes of caring people.

The events in Iceland big influence to review certain laws and regulations governing air travel in such situations. Many companies have stated that computer program, which calculates the risks from flying in the ash spread zone, is doubtful, besides, they blamed the heads European countries in deliberately inflating the problem and helplessness in making important decisions.

Consequences

In addition to economic damage, Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano caused serious damage environment. In the first three days, about 140 million cubic meters of dust were released into the atmosphere. During the eruption, together with particles of earth rocks, ash, a huge amount of suspended particles or aerosols are thrown into the air. The danger of such a substance is that it quickly spreads over a long distance and has a detrimental effect on the composition of the atmosphere, absorbing part of the solar radiation.

Although geophysicists and meteorologists did not support the general panic that flared up on the pages of some newspapers. According to scientists, the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull was not so powerful that emissions could somehow cause climate change, at most - affect the weather. So, long and thick clouds were observed many thousands of kilometers from the island, even in Russia.

Ash spread

The course of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano eruption was recorded from space, and daily meteorological services made a forecast of the movement of the dust cloud. In mid-April 2010, ash covered more than half of Europe and some regions of Russia. Officially Rosgidromettsentr did not confirm the assumption that particles of dust and volcanic matter reached the territory of our country. True, eyewitnesses claim that the ashes could be easily detected using a sheet of paper placed on the windowsill.

The ejected dust was a fine-grained flying tephra, part of which settled near the vent and on the glacier, but the main mass rose into the air. However, experts assured the public that the gases released into the atmosphere do not pose a serious threat to humans.

Only almost a month after the start of the events, the media of all countries reported that the Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano had finally ceased its activity. The eruption of 2010 was remembered primarily not for its uniqueness, because this happens all the time on earth, but for the increased attention to this event in the news and newspapers.

The Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland, whose photo appeared on the covers of many publications seven years ago, has a special history. Such a complex name comes from the combination of three words at once, denoting a mountain, a glacier and an island. And in fact, the name belongs to the glacier, under which there was a volcano for a long time. In connection with the events of 2010, linguists became interested in the origin and meaning of the toponym different countries trying to determine the exact meaning of the word.

After the hype around the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in scientific world talking about another possible problem that could lead to far greater consequences. We are talking about Mount Katla, which is located just 12 km from the epicenter of the underground explosion in 2010. Research by geophysicists confirms that each previous activity of Eyyafyatlayokudl preceded the eruption of the much more powerful and destructive Katla volcano. Therefore, scientists have suggested that the events of seven years ago may be the beginning of a more grandiose catastrophe in the future.

There are many more places in this region where nature can surprise you. So, a few hundred kilometers away is the only active volcano in Norway. Eyyafyatlayokudl and Berenberg (translated - “ Bear mountain”) are similar in structure and physical data. The northernmost volcano in the world was also considered extinct for a long time, but in 1985 a strong eruption was recorded.

Reflection in culture

Today, the story of seven years ago on the distant island of Iceland is somewhat forgotten, but at the same time this event made a strong impression on many, because not every day in live you can see how a real volcano erupts. Society reacted differently to the event. Videos appeared on the Internet in which people tried to pronounce an unusual name, and the people composed jokes on this topic.

National Geographic Channel filmed documentary, which tells about the events of the spring of 2010, and the plots of some feature films are connected with the Icelandic volcano, for example, the French film "Volcano of Passion" and some episodes of the American film "The Walter Mitty Story".

Perhaps the sweetest note in the craze for the Icelandic natural phenomenon was made by a native of this country, singer Elisa Geirsdottir Newman. She composed a provocative song about Eyjafyatlayokudl, which helps to learn how to pronounce the exotic name correctly.

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. This is where the Skougau River starts. famous waterfall Skogafoss.

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 pretty 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 no eruptions have been recorded since the beginning of the 19th century. 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 of the earth's crust by 3 cm to the southeast in the region of the glacier. 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 the danger zone around the volcano, the authorities decided to evacuate 500 local residents, fearing flooding of the area, which could cause an intense covering of Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano. Closed as a precaution international Airport Keflavik.

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 melt actively, and its waters flowed both to the north and to the south, into populated areas. 700 people were urgently evacuated. During the day, melt water flooded 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. Spreading ashes in eastbound contributed to 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. In this regard, the airspace over part of Europe was closed 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 that lasted several months, a rather calm volcanic eruption began in the region of the glacier on the night of March 20-21. 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, over the Old World hung air transport collapse. 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 was due to the fact that volcanic ash has such physical properties that 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 caused damage to Europe 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. Awakening fiery mountain affected 29% of world aviation. Every day more than a million passengers became hostages of the eruption.

The Russian Aeroflot also suffered. During the closing period overhead lines over Europe, the company did not complete 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 of 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.

Iceland is an ice state. The country received this second name due to its geographical location, Iceland was lost in the Atlantic between Greenland and Norway, a little short of the Arctic Circle. Most of Iceland is a volcanic plateau rising no higher than 2,000 meters above sea level. Thanks to this, the island is filled with active volcanoes, geothermal springs, lava fields and ice.

The entire central part of the island is occupied by volcanoes, deserts and is not suitable for life. Only one quarter of the entire territory of the country (Iceland ranks 18th in terms of area in the world among the islands - 103 thousand square kilometers) is inhabited by people. Mainly coastal zones and valleys.

Iceland is located at the junction of two lithospheric plates: the Eurasian and the North American. The island has one of the highest volcanic activity in the entire world. There are more than a hundred volcanoes in Iceland, and 25 of them have been active in the past thousand years. The most popular Icelandic volcanoes are Laki and Hekla, which have almost a hundred craters.

In this article, we will tell you about the most popular volcanoes Iceland. In addition to the volcanoes listed below, there are many others worthy of attention. But these, in our opinion, are the most interesting and significant.

Hekla Volcano is the most famous and most active volcano in Iceland, its significance for Iceland is the same as for Japan the importance of the famous Fujiyama. In the Middle Ages, the inhabitants of Iceland called it none other than the “Gate to Hell”. Hekla has been active for the past 6,600 years, as revealed by studying the volcano and its ash deposits. The last eruption of Hekla was recorded in 2000.

Hekla is a very unpredictable volcano. Its eruptions can be very diverse. Therefore, it is very difficult for volcanologists to predict new bursts of its activity. Each new eruption of the Hekla volcano is not like the previous one, one can last only a few weeks or only ten days, while the other can stretch for months and even years (for example, the Hekla eruption that began on March 29, 1947 and ended only in April 1948 .). What is clear is that the longer Hekla remains calm, the stronger his eruption will be.

If we touch on the prehistoric eruptions of Hekla, then the strongest of them were in 1159 BC and in 950 BC. These were very powerful eruptions, volcanic rocks thrown out by Hekla, scattered for 7.3 km, according to the scale of volcanic activity, eruptions were assigned 5-point difficulty levels. The power of these eruptions was quite enough to create the effect of a volcanic winter with a decrease in the temperature of the northern hemisphere by several degrees for several years.

To date, information has appeared in the Department of Population Protection in Iceland about the possible awakening of Hekla. This was evidenced by the movement of air masses recorded in the southern part of the country. So far, the situation does not cause much concern. But local residents and tourists are strongly discouraged from approaching the awakening volcano.

Hekla volcano is one of the highest in Iceland. Its height is 1488 meters.

Another famous volcano in Iceland is Lucky. Laki is a shield volcano, as are most volcanoes in Iceland. This is a giant, twenty-five-kilometer crack and a volcanic field with many craters (today, scientists have more than 110 - 115 craters).

The Laki volcano is located in the Skaftafell Nature Park, which has joined Vatnajökull National Park since 2008. On average, the height of numerous Laki craters is no more than 80-90 meters above the level of the basalt surface, but there are also 800-meter volcanic cones. Lucky - included major system volcanoes spread within the Mirdalsjokull and Vatnajokull glaciers.

Volcano Laki is a typical representative of Iceland's restless volcanoes. Its last eruption caused many disasters not only in Iceland, but throughout the world. The destructive eruption of the Laki volcano was recorded in 1783-1784. Then the laki volcano erupted together with neighboring volcanoes for 8 months. During this time, the lava flows spread over more than 130 kilometers, forming lava fields behind them. The eruption was classified as a six-point eruption.

As a result of the Laki volcano eruption, huge masses of poisonous gases were thrown into the air. Which destroyed half of the livestock in Iceland and almost a quarter of its population. The climate of Iceland has undergone significant changes, glaciers have melted and floods have occurred. The volcanic winter effect caused by the Icelandic volcanic eruption led to severe droughts in Japan and India, and North America experienced the coldest winter in its history. Just as severe were the consequences of the Laki Volcano Eruption in North Africa.

Ash from an eruption in Iceland was in the air over almost half of Eurasia. According to experts, due to the eruption of Laki, a total of about 6 million people died.

Here is another not calm representative of Icelandic volcanoes. It is located in the southern part of Iceland and is 1725 meters high. The crater of the volcano changes its size depending on the power of the eruption. So, for example, in 1989 its length was approximately 200 meters, and during the 1998 eruption it was more than 500 meters.

The Grimsvotn volcano erupts every 3-10 years. Over the past century, about 20 major eruptions of this volcano have been recorded. In the recent past, major eruptions of Grimsvotn were in 1996, 1998, 2004 and 2011. In 1996, the volcano erupted under the ice, resulting in extensive glacier melt and flooding. The flow from the melting of the glacier had a flow of water of approximately 200.000 - 300.000 cubic meters per second. For comparison, I will say that the flow of water in the Amazon - the most full-flowing river in the world, is 220,000 cubic meters per second.

Grimsvotn last announced himself on May 21, 2011. Then clubs of ash, smoke and steam were thrown into the air, while rising almost 20 kilometers. The result of this eruption was a temporary cessation air traffic with Iceland, and after - partly with the UK and Germany. Some flights have been canceled in Norway and Denmark.

Volcano Askja

The center of Iceland is almost uninhabited, there are no roads and trails. The entire surface there is covered with lava heaps, glaciers, black sands and geothermal sources escaping to the surface. When visiting this region, you have to rely solely on own forces and navigator. Because of this, this land of ice and fire is rarely visited by tourists, but in vain!

Since it is in this place that another fire-breathing dragon is located ice land Askja Volcano. You can find the volcano on the lava plateau of Oudaudahroin. Two lakes formed in the caldera of the volcano, one of them is Öskjuvatn, the largest in Iceland. It never freezes completely. Only from the west it is covered with ice. Descent to blue waters volcanic lake possible only from the east side, where you can swim. The second lake is Viti, small. Its diameter is only 100 meters. And it smells of sulfur.

Certainly, best time for a trip to the Askja volcano and the pearl of the Icelandic lakes - Joskjuvatn, summer, because the path to the volcano is not close.

Volcano Askja is one of the the most beautiful volcanoes Iceland. Its height is 1510 meters. The volcano is still active. The lake located in its crater is getting deeper. The last full-fledged eruption of Askya was recorded in 1961.

The walk around the largest of the lakes, located in the crater of the Askja volcano, is very long. The trail is very narrow, it surrounds the perfectly round shapes of the lake. Its length is approximately 8 kilometers. It will be useful for tourists to remember that you should not walk along the trail if there is even the slightest wind at the top. Since the path is very narrow, and the edges of the crater are quite steep.

Katla volcano, located in the southern part of Iceland, a little higher than the Askja volcano, its height is about 1512 meters. The Katla caldera is 10 meters in diameter. And you the volcano lies under southeastern edge Myrdalsjokull glacier.

The frequency of activity of Katla is from 40 to 80 years. The previous powerful surge of its activity dates back to 1918, which gives cause for concern to many scientists.

Since the 10th century, Katla has erupted on a large scale 14 times. Moreover, during its eruptions, intense melting of the glacier occurred, as a result of which powerful streams of water were formed. For example, the eruption of 1755 led to the formation of a powerful flow of water with a flow rate of 200,000 - 400,000 cubic meters per second and melt water flooded nearby areas.

Today Katla is activated again. The level of the magma layer in Katla is growing. And besides, the last major eruption was already almost a century ago, and if we take into account the frequency of Katla eruptions (no more than 80 years), then the increasing activity of the volcano becomes clear. According to scientists, the consequences of a possible eruption could be very large: the melting of glaciers and floods in Iceland, as well as the termination of communication with the country by means of overhead lines.

Katla's eruptions are associated with periods of activity, located 20 kilometers away from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano. For more than 1,000 years, the eruptions of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano have been the impetus for the Katla eruption. The first such connection was revealed during the eruption of Katla in 920. Further, a similar mechanism launched Katla in 1612 and 1821-1823.

Eyjafjallajokull volcano

Eyjafjallajökull is the name of one of the Icelandic glaciers, located in the southern part of the country, 125 kilometers from the capital of Iceland - Reykjavik. The Eyjafjallajokull glacier is adjacent to the Myrdalsjokull glacier. Beneath these glaciers is a cone-shaped, shield volcano without its own name. Therefore, it is often called by the name of the Eyjafjallajokull glacier.

The Eyjafjallajökull volcano is one of the most recently erupted volcanoes in Iceland. The height of the Eyyafjallajökull volcano is 1666 meters. The size of its crater is 3-4 kilometers. Until 2010 - the last volcanic eruption, its crater was covered with a glacier cap.

Eyjafjallajökull's history of eruptions contains information about major eruption volcano in 1821 - 1823. Then, for more than 12 months (from December 19, 1821 to January 1, 1823), the Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted. Eyjafjallajökull erupted along with its nearest neighbor, Katla. The eruption was assigned a two-point level on the scale of volcanic activity.

After, almost two hundred years, the volcano slept. And I woke up quite recently - March 20, 2010. In April 2010, due to the increasing rate of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption, airspace was blocked over part of Europe from April 16 to 20. Also, partially the restriction on flights was partially maintained in May. This eruption was awarded four balls.

In April 2013, the formidable volcano, which caused many Europeans to panic three years ago, again gave an alarm signal about its awakening.

Calling Iceland a country of volcanoes is no exaggeration. In this small area 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 of the island, so much of 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 - the North American and the Eurasian. One of the highest levels of volcanic activity is recorded here. 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.

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 “hekla” outfit 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 became 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 of air masses. Therefore, tourists and locals are strongly advised not 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.

Laki is a powerful shield-type volcano (most of the local volcanoes belong to it).

He is notorious far beyond Iceland for catastrophic eruption, which brought numerous victims and had a huge impact on the entire Northern Hemisphere as a whole. 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 tremendous speed with which the lava erupted - and it reached 8600 cubic meters per second - the eruption of the Laki volcano is often compared to 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 got into the atmosphere, the consequences of which were disastrous for 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. Sulfur dioxide-induced acid rain and poisonous fogs destroyed vegetation, including vast areas 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: Skaftafell Nature Park, Iceland.

Travel to the Volcanoes of Iceland in 2019:

( 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 Eyjafjallajokull, 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 times 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

Second unique creations Aski - 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.

Askja is an active volcano - the depth of the lake in the crater continues to grow and back in 1961 the volcano erupted.

Askja volcano is located on the Odadahraun lava plateau (territory national park Vatnajökull.

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, total area which 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. Comfortable!

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 a private area - it was her owners who decided to turn this place into tourist centre. 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 famous waterfall Skogafoss.

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.

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, translated - "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. Thick puffs of volcanic ash enveloped parts of the Icelandic countryside, and an invisible plume of sand and dust covered Europe, clearing the skies of planes and forcing hundreds of thousands of people to rush to search 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 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 a dumpster outside 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.