Towards the north of the planet near the Arctic Circle in the Atlantic Ocean lies an island called Iceland. It is a land of ice, fire, and sheer natural beauty. It spreads across 40,000 sq. miles.
Iceland is the second-largest island in Europe. It is one of the world's youngest landmasses. Thus, it is also home to most of the active volcanoes in the world.
Iceland houses about 130 known volcanoes across the country; of which 30 are understood to be active. Meaning, they have had a recent eruption or will be erupting soon.
Generally, active volcanoes make noise, or lava trickles down their mouth. However, there are full-proof scientific methods to check if a volcano is active or not.
Recently breath-taking pictures and videos of an erupting volcano are being shared and loved on social media. These pictures are of the Fagradalsfjall volcano, which lies very close to Reykjavik- a city in Iceland.
This incident happened in the last week of March 2021 and since then it is the talk of the globe. There are no fatalities reported as authorities were well equipped for the calamity to occur.
Fagradalsfjall Volcano
Mount. Fagradalsfjall lies approximately about 25 miles away from Reykjavik. It was a dormant volcanic zone for the past 900 years. But recently in the month of February 2021, it showed the signs of waking up.
The area experienced a 5.7 magnitude earthquake on the 24th of February 2021 near the outskirts of Reykjavik city at Mount. Keilir. Not even a month passed and there were about 50,000 recordings of smaller, non-destructive tremors in the vicinity of Mount. Fagradalsfjall.
After a scientific observation, the authorities reported the presence of magma barely a kilometer below the earth's surface. This clearly indicated the past dormancy period of the volcano in this area.
On the 19th of March 2021, a volcanic eruption began in the Krysuvik volcanic system. This system doesn't have a central volcano. It was motionless for the past 900 years.
The first fissure occurred and red lava erupted in the Geldingadalur valley very near to Mount. Fagradalsfjall. The sky turned crimson and hundreds of earthquakes shook the area. A downpour of rain slowed the lava down, and blue fumes could be seen.
The experts from the meteorological department reported that the eruptive fissure spanned about 500 to 700 meters. The lava area was found to be lesser than 1 sq. kilometers. There were sightings of small lava fountains but they pose no threat.
Well, it is not just the calamity that has caught people's attention globally but it's the terrifying yet beautiful scenes from the site. Let's takes a look at some of the interesting facts about Icelandic Volcanoes.
Frequency of Volcanic Eruptions
The geography of Iceland is the cause of volcanism on the Island. It lies exactly across the mid-Atlantic ridge. This elevation is such that it separates two tectonic plates. This makes the area prone to volcanic activity.
The tectonic plates are major pieces of the earth's crust that keep changing from time to time. This causes them to move away from each other and a gap forms. A volcanic eruption essentially is nature's attempt to fill up this space with magma.
Since Iceland has this ridge running across the entire landmass it faces eruptions quite frequently. Not even a decade goes by without a volcanic eruption in the country.
Some eruptions occur below the glaciers and don't break the ice while others keep pouring the lava for a long period. Although the volcanic eruptions are unpredictable their frequent occurrences keep the authorities and citizens alert and alarmed.
The severity of Icelandic Volcanism
The early dwellers in Iceland have skillfully avoided the places of frequent volcanic activities for establishing settlements. This gives the people an upper hand over volcanism and huge fatalities are prevented.
Most of the Icelandic towns are situated away from the active volcanic zones and are thus safe. The south coast of Iceland is home to many active volcanoes and therefore this area is mainly deserted. Not many towns or villages are situated in close vicinity of this area.
It is also prone to glacial floods due to the geography of this area. The peaks of both the active volcanoes of this area lie under the glacier. Their eruptions lead to enormous floods.
Some sub-glacier volcanoes can be very fatal for the Icelanders as they are not easy to locate beneath the glaciers. Thus it is practically impossible to have a clear estimate of their activeness and dormancy.
These floods are called Jokulhalaup. Their impact is such that they are capable of nearly wiping away anything that exists between them and the ocean.
However, the progress in science is easing things up for the nation. Most seismic stations across the country successfully predict volcanic eruptions. This prevents the loss of life.
Although nowadays the threat to human life is minimal from on-surface and sub-glacial volcanic eruptions, it is possible that some uncertain incidents may occur. However, the measures like closing the active volcanic area from any public activity are taken well in advance to prevent any fatality.
The country is a nature's wonder where both the weather and the freezing glaciers fight the heated magma. It is sometimes terrifying but mostly a very beautiful sight of craters, black sand, and moss-covered lava.
Written by - Akanksha Sharma
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