Volcano in Iceland name. Iceland's famous volcanoes

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 eruptions was relatively low: local travel companies even began to organize helicopter rides to Eyyafyatlayokudl. Nevertheless, about 500 farmers were evacuated from the vicinity of the glacier, and local and international flights in Iceland have been suspended. By the evening of the next day, when it became known that the awakened volcano did not yet pose any danger, all 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 of the 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 main reason 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 UK, Denmark and Scandinavian countries and 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 Krakatau volcano settled only after it circled the Earth twice), and represents great danger for 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 through Atlantic Ocean and even 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 disrupted. Exceptions were not 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 whole 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 will return to normal in this case, it is not clear. 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.

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 active volcanoes geothermal springs, lava and ice.

All central part The islands are occupied by volcanoes, deserts and are not habitable. 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 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 in Iceland. In addition to the volcanoes listed below, there are many others. noteworthy. But these, in our opinion, are the most interesting and significant.

Hekla volcano is the most famous and most active volcano in Iceland, its meaning for Iceland is the same as for Japan the meaning of the famous Fujiyama. In the Middle Ages, the inhabitants of Iceland called it none other than the “Gate to Hell”. It has been active for the past 6600 years, which was found out during the study of the volcano and its ash deposits. Last eruption was registered in 2000.

Hekla is a very unpredictable volcano. Its eruptions be the most varied. 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, and the other can stretch for months and even years (for example, the eruption that began on March 29, 1947 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 Hekla, then the strongest of them were in 1159 AD and in 950 AD. These were very powerful eruptions ejected volcanic rocks scattered for 7.3 km, according to the scale of activity, eruptions were assigned 5-point levels of difficulty. The power of these eruptions was enough to create the effect of a volcanic winter with a decrease in the temperature of the 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 gigantic, twenty-five kilometer fissure and a volcanic field with many craters. To date, scientists have more than 110 - 115 craters.

The Laki volcano is located in the natural Skaftafell, which has joined the Vatnajökull National Park since 2008. On average, the height of numerous 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 with neighboring volcanoes for 8 months. During this time, lava flows spread over more than 130 kilometers, forming lava behind them. The eruption was classified as a six-point eruption.

As a result of the Laki volcano eruption, masses of poisonous gases were thrown into the air. Which destroyed half of the livestock in Iceland and almost a quarter of its population. Iceland's climate has undergone significant changes with melting glaciers and floods. The volcanic winter effect caused by Icelandic eruption The volcano 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 the Icelandic eruption was in the air over almost half of Eurasia. According to experts, due to the eruption, a total of about 6 million people died.

Here is another not calm representative 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, the length was approximately 200 meters, and during the eruption of the year it was more than 500 meters.

Volcano Grimsvotn erupts every 3-10 years. Over the past century, about 20 major volcanic eruptions have been recorded. In the recent past, major eruptions were in 1996, 1998, 2004 and 2011. Erupted in ice in 1996, resulting in extensive melting and flooding. The melt flow had a water flow rate of approximately 200,000 to 300,000 cubic meters per second. For comparison, I will say that the water consumption in the Amazon is the most deep river in the world is equal to 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 is a temporary cessation air traffic with Iceland, and after - partly with Great Britain 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, glaciers, black sands and geothermal springs 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 a volcano on the lava Oudaudahrein. 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 like 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.

Askja Volcano is one of the most beautiful volcanoes in 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 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 steep.

Located in the southern part of Iceland a little higher than the Askja volcano, its height is somewhere around 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 once. Moreover, during its eruptions, intense melting, as a result of which powerful streams were formed. For example, the eruption of the year to the formation of a powerful stream with a water consumption of 200,000 - 400,000 cubic meters per second and melt water flooded the surrounding areas.

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

The eruptions are associated with periods of activity, located 20 kilometers away from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano. For more than 1000 years, the eruptions of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano have been the impetus for the eruption. The first such connection was revealed during the eruption in 920. Further, a similar mechanism launched Katla in 1612 and 1821-1823.

Eyyafyadlayokyudl - this 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 Eyjafjallajökull 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 kilometers. Until 2010, the last volcanic eruption, the crater was covered with an ice cap.

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

After that, he slept for almost two hundred years. And woke up quite recently - March 20, 2010. In April 2010, due to the increasing rate of the Eyjafjallajokull 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 volcano, which had caused many Europeans to panic for three years, again gave an alarm signal about its awakening.

Eyjafjallajokull in April 2013

Even brave travelers who have seen a lot have something to be surprised at in a small but beautiful Iceland! This the only island, located in the ocean on a volcanic mountain range, where the forces of nature so expressively manifest themselves!

Unexpectedly bursting into human life, volcanoes bring death to all living things, huge destruction and fires. Many people remember the case with the famous Icelandic Eyjafjallajökull, when the activity of the volcano caused the cancellation and delay of flights. It seems that a person has nothing to love volcanoes for. But every year the number of those who climb to the top of an active or dormant volcano increases - The best way have fun and relax during a tourist trip.

More than 140 different volcanoes (shield, crater series, stratovolcanoes, subglacial, underwater, mud volcanoes, etc.) have been identified in Iceland, of which 26 are active. The main part of the volcanoes is located in the middle of the country in a strip stretching from the southwest to the northeast. Powerful fissure eruptions are the most common. There are flat shield volcanoes. For example, Kollota dingya, trella dingya, formed by lava sheets with cinder cones on the surface and voids inside. At the top is a large round crater with steep walls.

About 30 km from Reykjavik, there is a volcano on the territory of the Blaufell nature reserve. Trihnukayigur – Three Peaks(Thrihnukagigur). He became popular interesting place For hiking trips since it's dormant and safe volcano, allowing you to travel inside and conduct research there.

Typically, during a volcanic eruption, the magma chamber fills with lava, which then cools and hardens, blocking the entrance. But there are suggestions that in Trihnyukaigyur, lava flowed back into the bowels of the earth. The magma chamber remained intact, and the volcano became unique place for excursions.

Arnie B. Stefansson, a great cave enthusiast from Reykjavik, proposed to open the volcano for visitors. He has been studying Iceland since 1954 and was the first to descend into the crater in 1974.

Three Peaks Volcano does not fall into the category of strong volcanic eruptions. The last time he was active about 4000 years ago. After that, there was an entrance 4 x 4 m in diameter, going to the volcanic storage, shaped like a bottle. Icelandic experienced tour operator and instructor ensures the safety of visitors during the exploration ancient volcano from within.

A special elevator, accommodating 5-6 people, in an open platform-basket will lower those who wish to visit the crater mouth down the steel cables. The descent to a depth of 120 meters takes about eight minutes. Inside the volcano, visitors will stay for about an hour, seeing the beautiful shades of the rock surface and appreciating the size of the interior space.

Most recently, the crater was visited by scientists studying underground depths. A year after that, excursions became available for everyone. Experts assure that the exotic walk does not pose a threat to human life.

The tour is open only in summer, average temperature it is always 6 C in the crater. Tourists are advised to buy warm clothes and special trekking shoes, take a camera and water with them.

Eyyafjallajokull(which means "island, mountain, glacier") - a glacier located 125 km from Reykjavik. Below it is a conical volcano with the same name. Glacier area up to 100 sq. km, peak height - 1666 m. Until 2010, the volcanic crater with a diameter of 3-4 km was covered with glaciers. The volcano belongs to the thyroid.

Near the southern end of the glacier is the nearest village of Skogar. The Skougau River begins here, on which the Skogafoss waterfall forms.

Recently, the unpronounceable name of the volcano has become a household name. Eyyafjallajokull, before it disrupted air traffic in 2010, did not stand out among other fire-breathing peaks of Iceland with something special and was known to a narrow circle of volcanologists. But for the state, which had a hard time surviving the crisis in the economy, the unexpected glory of the volcano turned out to be the way. Since December 2010, excursions in small groups have been allowed to Eyjafjallajokull.

For about two hundred years, the volcano was considered dormant. The eruption, which lasted almost a year, occurred in 1821-22, which caused the glacier to melt. The last eruption began in March 2010 with the formation of a 500-meter fault with a small emission of ash. The intensification of the eruption and the release of a large volume of volcanic ash continued in mid-April 2010. This led to the closure of some part of the European airspace for a few days.

When choosing a tour, please note that the best time to visit is from May to September. Many travel agencies are limited to excursions only to the foot of the volcano in jeeps. Only a few organize a classic walking ascent to the top.

Eyyafyadlayekudl is located 12 km from the ice volcano Katla, which is more active. In the past, Eyjafjallajökull erupted before the Katla eruption. Icelandic geophysicists have an assumption that the 2010 eruption could be the trigger for the Katla eruption.

Due to the volcanic eruption in spring 2011 Grimsvotn located nearby, climbs to Eyjafjallajokull were temporarily stopped. At this time, the situation remains calm, true lovers of extreme hiking can enjoy the ascent.

In the south of Iceland, in the region of Nordurland-Eistra, there is a subglacial volcano. Baurdarbunga. It includes volcanic faults, stratovolcanoes, craters, volcanic ridges. major eruption occurred in 1477, the last was observed in 1910. A new eruption of Bardarbunga began in August 2014.

Height - 2009 meters, an under-ice stratovolcano, located in a caldera 700 meters deep. Volcanic faults coming from Bardarbunga are connected with Torvajokull and Askja volcanoes. Around the volcano settlements absent, in summer these places are visited by hunters and tourists.

The volcano was named after an Old Norse settler. Literally, it translates as "Baurdur's dome" or "Baurdur's plateau". Since 2007, there has been an increase in activity.

In the summer of 2014, studies showed the movement of magma in the volcano's chamber. In August, a series of tremors was noted. At the same time, the Icelandic authorities announced the danger code “yellow” for airlines flying over the island, several roads were also blocked, since after the eruption a cloud of volcanic ash could form and flooding occurred. The movement of magma 3-7 km below the surface created a high probability of a breakthrough of magma in the near future.

People were urgently evacuated from the area of ​​the volcano (including 200 tourists from houses in national park Vatnajokull). On August 20, the volcano erupted. Service civil aviation, declaring the danger code "red", banned all flights in this area. Magma came to the surface on August 29 from a fault outside the glacier. There was no significant emission of ash into the atmosphere. On the morning of August 31, the eruption continued.

In autumn 2014, seismic activity in the area of ​​the volcano remained high, earthquakes were recorded.

An active stratovolcano is located in the center of the Icelandic plateau. Askya. The height is 1510 meters. As a result of volcanic activity, geological mountains formed around Askya. The last eruption was in 1961.

When the volcano erupted in March 1875, a 45 sq. km appeared two big lakes A. The deepest lake in Iceland Escuwatn occupies an area of ​​11 sq. km and has a depth of 220 m. Immediately after its appearance, it was warm, now it is more covered with ice. During the eruption in 1926, a small island was formed in the southern part of the lake.

close north coast Lake Eskjuvatn is a geothermal lake Viti. Its diameter is 100 meters, depth is 7 meters. The temperature of the milky-blue water can vary from 20 C to 27 C. Near the lake, there is a sharp smell of sulfur, which gave the lake its name.

As a result of the crater eruptions, in addition to these two large lakes, there are several smaller ones.

The tourist route to the Askew volcano depends on the location of the starting point: in the north or in the south. You can go on a trip only on a frame car with high or increased off-road cross-country ability.

Not far (8 km) from the caldera of the volcano there is a permanent tourist camp, where you can make a stop for rest. Two houses are intended for tourists. In one there is a shared small kitchen, shower, etc., in the other there are places to sleep.

There is a volcano in the south of the country. Hekla. In the Middle Ages locals it was called the "Gate to Hell". The researchers, studying the deposits of volcanic ash, concluded that the volcano had been active for 6600 years. The last eruption took place in 2011.

In 1104, an eruption was recorded, since that time there have been another 20-30 strong actions. Each volcanic eruption is different from each other, which makes it impossible to predict them. Some are short: 7-10 days, others last for months or even years. A feature was noticed: the longer Hekla sleeps, the more dangerous the eruption will be.

Traces of two eruptions: 950 BC and 1159 BC. e. have been found in Ireland and Scottish peat bogs. The force of the eruptions was enough for the temperature to drop in the northern hemisphere of the Earth for several years.

The word "Hekla" is translated as a short cloak with a hood, this name was given to the volcano because of the constant cloud cover at the top. The area around Hekla used to be covered with trees. Forests and tall plants are less sensitive to ash than low plants, but repeated exposure to the volcano and the effects of human habitation have made the plant surface susceptible to erosion. The state has launched a project to restore the forest, in particular some species of willow and birch, which began on the slopes of Hekla with fertilizing the soil and sowing various herbs. The result of the project should be the stabilization of volcanic ash areas, the reduction of weathering, and the increase in biodiversity.

For inexperienced tourists, tours to the country of centuries-old glaciers and active volcanoes seem uninteresting and unattractive. Before the imagination rises cold stone ash-ice harsh land in which it is impossible to spend an interesting vacation. It's not like that at all. Russians, choosing a guided tour group or individual tour to Iceland, will return home not only with positive emotions but also good memories!

In 2010, an event occurred that changed the plans of millions of people around the world. Eyjafjallajökull, a volcano in Iceland, has declared itself. Immediately, this country attracted the attention of millions of tourists, because everyone wants to look at the consequences of the eruption, get a dose of adrenaline, rising to the giant crater. It should be noted that this is not the only active volcano in Iceland. The country has a unique geographical position, making it a real fiery island, enclosed in ice.

Iceland - an icy country with a fiery heart

Iceland is a country with an area of ​​just over 103 square kilometers, which is located between Norway and Greenland. It consists of big island and small satellite islands around. Iceland is washed by the Atlantic Ocean.

In translation, the name of the state means "Ice Country". Most of it is covered with ice, but the entire landscape is streaked with hot springs, geysers and active volcanoes. Iceland is spread out on a large tectonic plateau, rising almost 2,000 kilometers above sea level.

This fact explains the violent volcanic activity and landscape of the country. There are lava fields, and lakes located in the craters of volcanoes, and ice caps of the mountains. The coast of the ocean is indented by deep fjords.

It is noteworthy that the population of the country is concentrated in the southwest. In the depths of the island, only small villages are noted, because the central part is not suitable for life due to too high tectonic activity. Blame it all lithospheric plates, whose interaction awakens volcanoes. On this moment over a hundred active.

What are volcanoes

A volcano is a formation in the earth's crust, where the products of the volcano's activity come to the surface through a special channel (vent): combustible lava, gases, ash and caustic vapors. It is generally accepted that this is necessarily a high or not very cone-shaped mountain with a crater. However, a volcano can form simply at the junction of two plates. Then he does not have a crater, but there is a fault large sizes through which magma comes to the surface. Such, for example, a volcano in Iceland - Lucky.

Except buildings, volcanoes differ from each other in their status. Allocate active, extinct and dormant formations. The first are those that erupted at least once in the last 12 thousand years. It should be noted that the activity extinct volcanoes practically impossible. But dormant formations can come back to life at any moment. However, such a division of geological formations is very arbitrary, because it is not completely known when the last time the volcano was active, and whether it will show it at the present time.

It is interesting that volcanoes are not randomly scattered over the surface of the earth: everything is subject to certain patterns. There are several volcanic belts. The territory of Iceland belongs to the third of them. It stretches along the Atlantic coast. There are practically no extinct volcanoes among these volcanoes, all are in a state of activity or are sleeping and waiting in the wings.

Eyjafjallajokull volcano

The hero of recent news releases is the volcano in Iceland - Eyyafyadlayekudl. His photo is below. With its eruption, for almost a week, it paralyzed the work of airports not only in Iceland, but also in continental Europe. The ash spread even to the shores of North America.

It is noteworthy that the geological formation itself does not have a name. Volcano in Iceland - Eyjafjallajökull translation is very complex. It consists of the name of the area, the glacier and, in fact, the designation of the mountain on which it is located. Longest title volcano in Iceland, in the pronunciation of which there are even competitions, in fact, a toponym denoting

The distance from the capital of Iceland to the Eyjafjallajökull volcano is only 125 kilometers. The mountain itself has a height of 1666 meters above sea level. There is a volcano under the glacier of the same name. The geological formation crater is impressive: the largest recorded figure is 4 kilometers.

The volcano slept after its last eruption lasting almost a year at the end of the 19th century. The environmentalists found out that the mountain would soon wake up, thereby avoiding casualties. About 1000 people were evacuated from the area adjacent to the glacier. At the moment, researchers have again recorded the activity of the volcano Eyyafyadlayekyudl.

Volcano Hekla - "Gates to Hell"

What is the most famous volcano in Iceland? Of course, Hekla. Even during the Middle Ages, not only the inhabitants of the country, but also the neighboring states knew about it. It was dubbed the "Gate to Hell" along with Vesuvius. According to legend, the souls of sinners pass through the mouth of the mountain to the underworld, and witches arrange a sabbath there. The priests, in order to rein in the people, said that the eruption of the mountain was a punishment for committed sins.

Literally, Hekla translates as "Cloak with a hood." Indeed, the top of the volcano under the shadow of clouds is somewhat reminiscent of monastic clothes.

Hekla is a volcano in Iceland, to which the interest of tourists does not stop. Located on a mountain range, 40 kilometers high, it rises almost 1,500 meters. This is truly an impressive sight!

The interest of volcanologists in this object does not weaken either. Just think: over the past 6 thousand years, Hekla has erupted about 20 times. Moreover, it is impossible to guess what intensity the subsequent activity will be, because in his history there were awakenings for several days, which were repeated for more than a year. And those that took place in the II-I centuries BC, with their five-point force, threw out volcanic rocks for 7.5 km. A few years after that, a volcanic winter reigned in Europe.

Insidious Lucky

Another popular volcano in Iceland, whose name is Lucky, has a very impressive size. It is a huge crack. Numerous low (about 80 meters) small craters are formed in it. Laki is just a part of the volcanic system formed among the Mýrdalsjokull and Vatnajökull glaciers.

The eruption of this object always brings numerous problems not only to the inhabitants of Iceland, but to the whole world. The last largest activity at the end of the 18th century not only created the effect of a volcanic winter in the northern hemisphere, it is responsible for the death of people and animals poisoned by poisonous gases. Suffered by the dry summer of Japan, North Africa, India. Due to the consequences of this eruption in North America the coldest winter ever recorded. Glaciers brought great destruction: when they melted, they created floods.

Askja - a handsome man among the volcanoes of Iceland

Askja Volcano is located in the heart of Iceland. The area here is uninhabited, because the landscape is dotted with lava fields, glaciers, erupting geothermal springs, and fumes are in the air. A real apocalyptic scene! It is not for nothing that astronauts were trained in the foothills of Askya.

The volcano is also extraordinarily beautiful, especially ideal round lake located in its crater. Tourists who are not afraid to take a look at Askew need to follow the narrow path that circles the crater. Swimming in the cloudy blue water is possible, but undesirable. This threatens with loss of consciousness from the inhaled gases that exude the volcano.

There were Mystic stories associated with Askya: scientists who studied this area disappeared without a trace.

The last eruption of this volcano was relatively recent, in 1961. However, now the activity of Askya is alarming scientists, this is dictated by the fact that the ice in crater lake completely melts by summer (usually part of it remains even in July). This is partly because Askew was affected by Eyjafjallajökull, an erupting volcano in Iceland in 2010.

Grimsvotn

The Grímsvotn volcano is located under a huge glacier in the South of Iceland. "Gloomy waters" - this is how its name is translated. It reveals the essence of the eruption when thrown into environment huge volumes of ash, gases and igneous rocks.

Grimsvotn - mysterious volcano. Its height is not known for certain: According to scientists, it varies from 900 to almost 1800 meters. The glacier under which this geological object is located interferes with obtaining accurate data.

Grimsvotn erupts regularly, the period is a maximum of 10 years. Each time this phenomenon is accompanied by ash emissions and the absence of abundant lava flows. Last time volcano erupted in 2011.

Katla - the giant of Iceland

Katla is the most big volcano Iceland. Its height is slightly more than one and a half thousand meters. This giant has been worrying scientists for a long time. After all, it erupts with a frequency of 40-80 years, and Last Activity observed in 1918. Then the consequences were catastrophic: a severe flood, formed from the melt waters of the glacier, carried several icebergs into the Atlantic.

Katla owes its increased activity to the recently awakened volcano Eyyafyadlayekyudl, with which it is in close geological connection.

Consequences of the eruption

Iceland's volcanoes are not only beautiful natural objects but also very dangerous. IN different centuries their eruptions caused irreversible consequences not only for the inhabitants of Iceland, but for the entire hemisphere. The failure of airports is only a small part. After all, ash, accumulating in the atmosphere, provokes a decrease in temperature (the so-called volcanic winter).

Volcanoes, erupting, cause severe floods. This is due to the melting of the glaciers that cover these geological features of Iceland. The strongest currents in a matter of hours will flood everything that stands in the way.