The largest volcano in Iceland is the name. Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull eruption

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. 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”. 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 Iceland - 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).

Volcano Laki is located in natural park Skaftafell, 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 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 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.

Last time Grimsvotn 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 of the icy land is located - the 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.

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 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 Katlu 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.

Today Management civil aviation Britain was ordered to close the country's airspace due to the active Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland. The volcano erupts for the second time in less than a month, melting the ice, releasing smoke and steam into the air and forcing hundreds of people to flee their homes. Volcanic ash has led to the cancellation of many flights in northern Europe. Collected in this issue are photographs of recent eruptions. (Look )

(Total 23 photos)

1. Clouds of smoke rise from an erupting volcano on April 14 near Reykjavik. All flights at London airports, including the famous Heathrow, were canceled today from noon due to volcanic ash, which has already caused the delay of almost 300 flights in Iceland. (AFP/Getty Images)

2. A picture taken from a helicopter by the Icelandic Coast Guard shows the flooding caused by the Eyjafjalla glacier on April 14th. On Wednesday, the glacier melted due to a volcanic eruption, causing massive flooding that threatened to wash away roads and bridges and forced hundreds of people to flee their homes. (REUTERS/Icelandic Coast Guard/Arni Saeberg)

3. Melting ice of the Eyjafjalla glacier in southern Iceland. (REUTERS/Icelandic Coast Guard/Arni Saeberg)

4. Glacial river Markarfljot to the west of the Eyjafjalla glacier. During the second eruption of an Icelandic volcano, in less than a month, part of the glacier melted, causing a major flood. As a result, 800 people had to be evacuated and flights over Norway were cancelled. (HALLDOR KOLBEINS/AFP/Getty Images)

5. Flooding caused by a volcanic eruption in Iceland on April 14. (REUTERS/Icelandic Coast Guard/Arni Saeberg)

6. A man photographs a road washed out by flooding after the melting of the Eyjafjalla glacier, near Reykjavik. (HALLDOR KOLBEINS/AFP/Getty Images)

7. Smoke and steam rise from the volcano, which is erupting for the second time in less than a month. (AP Photo/Icelandic Coastguard)

8. Fountains and , 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)

9. This image, taken on March 27, shows lava erupting from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano about 125 km east of Reykjavik. A small Icelandic volcano that has forced hundreds of people from their homes has caused a "tourist explosion" as people flock to Iceland to watch the spectacle. (HALLDOR KOLBEINS/AFP/Getty Images)

10. Tourists gathered to watch the Eyjafjallajokull 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)

11. People gathered to watch the lava flow of the volcano Eyyafyatlayokudl on March 27. (HALLDOR KOLBEINS/AFP/Getty Images)

16. The volcano erupts lava fountains in Holsjodlyur on March 21. (Fior Kjartansson/AFP/Getty Images)

17. Steam and hot gases rise above the lava from the Eyjafyatlayokudl volcano on April 3. (Ulrich Latzenhofer / CC BY-SA)

18. In this photo taken by the NEODASS satellite station at the University of Dundee, an ash plume can be seen stretching from Iceland (top left) towards the UK. (AP Photo/NEODAAS/University of Dundee)

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: Sudurland region, Iceland, closest locality- 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 flood a large 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: natural Park Skaftafell, Iceland.

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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 the cores of Scotland, Denmark and North Atlantic. The last recorded eruption of this volcano lasted no less than 24 days, then, in 1918, the eruption allowed the coast of Iceland to grow by as much as 5000 meters. Minor eruption in over modern time was noted in 2011.

Despite a long period of calm, Katla has been showing signs of life for about 19 years. Scientists believe that her concern is related to the eruptions of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano, which is located nearby. This point of view is quite justified - after all, three times the activity of a volcano with an unpronounceable name has become a trigger for the Katla eruption. Volcanic activity in Katly crater and magma mobility has 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 foundation pit volcanic origin. The water that accumulates here forms a lake. The milky-blue shade of water remains warm at any time of the year - its temperature does not fall below 20 degrees. And this is in winter! In the warm season, the water temperature fluctuates between 36 - 43 degrees. A very specific hydrogen sulfide smell radiates from the water. By the way, the descent to the lake is quite dangerous because of the steep clay banks, which become very slippery in wet weather.

The Askja volcano itself amazes researchers and travelers with its scale and regular round shape. Located in the center of a gently sloping lava plateau, the volcano seems especially huge. Brave travelers can make a hike along the perimeter of the crater - this is 8 kilometers of the way, and not the easiest way - the weather here often changes, and when strong wind a walk along the steep slopes of the crater turns into a dangerous adventure, which is not recommended at all.

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

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. Eyjafjallajökull eruptions also aroused Katla activity - much more powerful volcano located 25 kilometers.

For two hundred years, the volcano "rested" after a long eruption in 1821-1822, but in March 2010 the volcano woke up again to declare itself.

The last volcanic eruption started by throwing a column of ash and smoke into the air. They were followed by powerful ejections of lava. The starting point of the eruption was an earthquake recorded at 22.30 on March 20, 2010 at a depth of about 10,000 meters. Approximately half an hour after the start of seismic activity, a lava cloud was discovered erupting from a crevice located between the Katla and Eyyafyadlayokudl volcanoes.

However, until April, the activity of the volcano was not too high. Starting from April 14, ash emissions become more powerful and provoke a cessation of air traffic over Europe for the period from April 16 to 20 and partly for May. The strength of the eruption was estimated at 4 points on the VEI scale.

Today, the volcano attracts many tourists from all over the world. And his popularity does not even think to decline! Excursions are conducted on the territory of the eruption, there is also a museum dedicated to the volcano. Part of the lava flow during the eruption passed through private territory - it was her owners who decided to turn this place into a tourist center. Here you can walk through the area where the lava flowed and watch a film about the volcano in the museum, which more fully reflects the consequences of its eruption in 2010.

Eyjafjallajökull volcano location - 125 kilometers east of Reykjavik. The nearest village is Skougar. The arm of Skaugau originates from the glacier - here is 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.

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. Its one of which is the foundation of Eurasia, and the second - North America, are still gradually dispersing, thereby prompting Icelandic volcanoes to be active. Small and large eruptions occur here approximately every 4-6 years.

The climate of Iceland, given the proximity of its location to the Arctic Circle, can be called mild. 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 the thickness of the icy ocean waters. All together there are almost one and a half hundred of them, among which 26 are active.

Geological features

Icelandic volcanoes are overwhelmingly shield-shaped in shape. They are formed by liquid lava, which repeatedly poured out to the surface from the bowels of the Earth. Such mountain formations have the appearance of a convex shield with rather gentle slopes. Their peaks are crowned with craters, and more often so-called calderas, which are huge basins with a more or less even bottom and steep walls. The diameter of the caldera is measured in kilometers, and the height of the walls - hundreds of meters. Shield volcanoes tend to overlap due to lava pouring out of them. As a result, an extensive volcanic shield is formed, which is observed on the island of Iceland. They are composed mainly of basalt rocks, which spread like water in the molten state.

In addition to shield volcanoes, Iceland has stratovolcanoes. These have the shape of a cone with steeper slopes, since the lava erupting from them is viscous, hardens quickly, before it has time to spill over many kilometers. A prime example This type of formation is Iceland's famous Hekla volcano 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 mountain range stretching for 40 km. It is all restless, but it shows the highest activity in the area of ​​the Geklugya fissure, 5500 m long, belonging to Gekla. From Icelandic, this word can be translated as "hood and cloak." This is due to the fact that its top is often covered with clouds. Now the slopes of Hekla are practically lifeless, but once trees and shrubs grew on them, grasses raged. Not so long ago, work began in the country to restore fauna on this volcano, mainly willows and birches.

Iceland has suffered from seismic activity in this area more than once. Volcano Hekla (according to scientists) has been actively spitting lava onto the surface of the Earth for 6600 years. Studying volcanic layers, seismologists have found that the strongest eruption here happened in the interval from 950 to 1150 years. BC. According to the amount of ash thrown into the atmosphere then, he was given 5 points out of 7 possible. The power of the eruption was such that the air temperature in the entire Northern Hemisphere of the Earth dropped for several years. The oldest documented eruption on Hekla happened in 1104, and the longest - in 1947. It lasted 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, Eyyafyadlayeküll woke up again. A 500-meter fault appeared in its eastern part, from which clouds of ash soared into the air. It was all over by the beginning of May. This time the intensity of the eruption reached 4 points. Now the slopes of the volcano are covered not with ice, but with green vegetation. Many are interested in which Icelandic city is closest to the Eyjafjallajökull volcano. Here it is worth mentioning the village of Skougar, which has as many as 25 inhabitants. The next is the village of Holt, then Hvolsvulur and the town of Selfoss, located about 50 km from the mountain.

Katla

This volcano is located just 20 km from Eyjafjallajökull and is more hectic. Its height is 1512 meters, and the frequency of eruptions is from 40 years. Since Katla is partly covered by the Myrdalsjökull glacier, its activity is fraught with ice melting and floods, which happened in 1755, and in 1918, and in 2011. Moreover, the last time it was so large-scale that it demolished the bridge on the Mulakvisl River and destroyed the 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 underwater volcanoes off the southwestern coast of the island, a new landmass appeared, 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. Laki is part of the 25 km long Icelandic volcano chain, consisting of 115 craters. The volcanoes Katla and Grimsvotn are also links in this chain. The height of their craters is mostly small, about 800-900 meters. Laki Crater is located somewhere in the middle between the glaciers - the huge Vatnajokull and the relatively small Mirdalsjokull. It is considered active, but has not caused problems for more than 200 years.

Grimsvotn

This volcano is the top of the chain in which Lucky is a member. Nobody knows its exact height. Some believe that it is only 970 meters, others call the figure 1725 meters. The size of the crater is also difficult to determine, since after each eruption they increase significantly. The word "Grimsvotn" in Icelandic means "gloomy waters". It arose, perhaps, because after the volcanic eruptions, some part of the Vatnajökull glacier, which covers it, melts. Grimsvotn is considered almost the most active on the peninsula, as it is activated every 3-10 years. The last time it happened in 2011, on May 21. Smoke and ash escaping from its crater then rose 20 km into the sky. Many flights were canceled not only in Iceland, but also in Britain, Norway, Denmark, Scotland and even Germany.

fatal eruption

Lucky is currently quiet and calm. He rarely rages, but, as they say, aptly. In 1783, the once again awakened volcano in Iceland - Lucky - united the devil's power with its neighbor Grimsvotn and a boiling lava flow hit the surroundings. The length exceeded 130 km. She, sweeping away everything in her path, spilled over the territory of 565 km 2. At the same time, poisonous vapors of fluorine and sulfur swirled in the air, as in hell. As a result, thousands of animals died, almost all the birds and fish in the area. From high temperatures, the ice began to melt, their waters flooded everything that did not burn. killed 1/5 of the inhabitants of the country, and the luminous fog, observed all summer even in America, lowered the temperature throughout the northern hemisphere of the planet, causing famine in many countries. This eruption is considered the most destructive in the 1000-year history of the Earth.

Eraivajokull

These are the Icelandic volcanoes. I would like to finish our story with a story about Eraivajokull, the largest on the island. It is on it that the highest point of Iceland is located - the 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 valid, but its last eruption ended in May 1828, and so far it does not bother anyone anymore - it stands, covered with ice, and admires with its severe beauty.

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. The nearest settlement is 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 Eyjafjallajökull 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, meltwater flooded the highway, the first destruction occurred. Volcanic ash has been recorded in southern Iceland.

By April 16, the ash column had reached 13 kilometers. This caused alarm among scientists. When the ash rises above 11 kilometers above sea level, it enters the stratosphere and can be carried over long distances. The spread of ash in an easterly direction was facilitated by a powerful anticyclone over the North Atlantic.

Last eruption

This happened on March 20, 2010. On this day, the last volcanic eruption in Iceland began. Eyjafjallajokull finally woke up at 23:30 GMT. A fault formed in the east of the glacier, the length of which was about 500 meters.

At this time, no large ash emissions were recorded. On April 14, the eruption intensified. It was then that powerful emissions of gigantic volumes of volcanic ash appeared. 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.

After closing airspace more than 300 airports across Europe were paralyzed. 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 closure of air lines over Europe, the company did not perform 362 flights on time. Her losses were in the millions of dollars.

Expert opinions

Experts say that the volcanic cloud really poses a serious danger to aircraft. When an aircraft hits it, the crew notes very poor visibility. On-board electronics work with big interruptions.

The resulting glassy "shirts" on the engine rotor blades, clogging of the holes that are used to supply air to the engine and other parts of the aircraft, can cause their failure. The captains of the airships agree with this.

Volcano Katla

After the fading of the activity of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, many scientists predicted even more powerful eruption Another Icelandic fiery mountain is 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.