The most famous volcano in Iceland. Active volcano in Iceland: name. Iceland's largest volcano

Eyjafjallajökull is a volcano in Iceland, located under the glacier of the same name, the name of which is able to pronounce only 0.005 percent of the world's population. In 2010, a small northern country Iceland decided to remind the Europeans of its existence. And she did it in such a way that the message could not be ignored.

Excessive activity of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano and a powerful release of ash into the atmosphere led to the cancellation of several tens of thousands of flights. This eruption can rightfully be considered one of the most remarkable events of the past year.

For two hundred years now, Eyjafjallajökull has been considered sound asleep. Its previous eruption was recorded between 1821 and 1823. - in two years, the volcano caused enormous damage to the surrounding area. However, Icelanders are accustomed to such disasters. There are several active volcanoes on the island, which periodically remind of their existence. So the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull did not panic local population, on the contrary, provoked a real tourist boom. People from all over the world came to admire the impressive spectacle.

In fact, the volcano that attracted so much attention from tourists to Iceland did not even have its own name. Previously, the Eyjafjallajökull glacier was known, located 125 km from Reykjavik and hiding a conical volcano underneath. For simplicity, it began to be called by the same name. Eyyafyadlayokyudl in translation into Russian means literally "glacier of the island mountains." The height of the peak is 1666 meters, and the diameter of the crater, which has been hiding under the ice for many years, is 4 km.

Naturally, scientists were monitoring Eyjafjallajökull, but could not predict the full scale of the upcoming eruption. Much more attention of scientists has always attracted a volcano located 12 km to the east - Katla. In the 20th century, he was noted for his special activity. Consequently, it was popular with tourists visiting the island.

All types of travel are available to lovers of the exotic in Iceland: auto, walking, as well as helicopter tours by air. Only from above can one fully appreciate the power of volcanoes. In addition to evidence of the fiery breath of the Earth, Iceland is famous for its rivers, waterfalls and geysers. Getting to know them is a must. tourist program. At the foot of the Eyjafjallajökull glacier is the village of Skogar and the most visited waterfall in the country, Skogafoss on the Skougau River. Famous tourist routes pass by it, leading to the Fimmvurduhauls pass between the Eyjafjallajokull and Myrdalsjokull glaciers.

Photo of Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland.

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. 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. An experienced Icelandic tour operator and instructor ensures the safety of visitors while exploring the ancient volcano from the inside.

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 of the European airspace for several days.

When choosing a tour, keep in mind that best time to visit 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. A 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 Vatnajökull National Park). 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, the locals called it 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. A cold, stone, ash-ice, harsh land rises before the imagination, 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 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 a large number of weak, magnitude up to 3, earthquakes in the vicinity of the glacier. 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.

The last time Europe and the whole world as a whole faced such a mass cancellation of flights was 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.

For many people, the concept of "volcano" is associated with 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. One of which is the foundation of Eurasia, and the second of North America, is still gradually diverging, thereby prompting the 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. True, there is no warm summer here. 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. like this natural landscape surrounds Icelandic volcanoes and adorns their slopes. In addition to those visible to the eye, there are many volcanoes around the island, hidden by a layer of ice 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 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. By studying volcanic strata, seismologists have found that the strongest eruption happened here between 950 and 1150. 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 over 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 national park Vatnajökull, named after a huge glacier (the largest in Iceland and the third largest in the world). Askya is at his northern edge and not covered in 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. Escuwati with a depth of about 220 meters is considered the most deep 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 scare tourists at all, who visit Askya so actively that they even built 2 tourist routes, 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, Eyyafyadlayekyudl 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 highway. 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 dormant volcano famous for the fact that at its foot is the capital of the state - Reykjavik. 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 residents and extremely popular with tourists, climbers and all connoisseurs harsh beauty 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. Lucky enters the chain Icelandic volcanoes 25 km long, 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 in this moment 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 other similar formations, but 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.

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. Because of this, the island is filled with 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 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. The last eruption was recorded in 2000.

Hekla is a very unpredictable volcano. Its eruptions be the most 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, 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 since 2008 National park Vatnajokull. 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 the Icelandic volcanic eruption led to severe droughts in Japan and India, and North America survived 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 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, 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 the 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 of sulfur.

Of course, the best time to travel to the Askja volcano and the pearl of the Icelandic lakes is 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 from the volcano Eyyafyadlayokyudl. For more than 1000 years, the eruptions of the volcano Eyjafjallajökull have been the impetus for the eruption. The first such connection was revealed during the eruption in 920. Further, a similar mechanism launched Katlu 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 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 kilometers. Until 2010 last eruption volcano, the crater was covered with a glacier 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 eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano, the air space over part of Europe from 16 to 20 April. 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