Are there any real benefits to the volcanoes or are they simply a tragic landmass? While you may relate volcanoes to a mountain with a bit of smoke piping out of the top and a some lava rolling down the side, similar to your grade school science fair project with baking soda and vinegar, volcanoes are so much more.
They are typically found where the plates of the Earth meet, so most of the volcanoes of the world are found under the sea. There are three main ways to categorize volcanoes: cone, shield and composite. These categorizations have to do with shape and make up of the volcano.
Many of the volcanoes in Iceland are active, but this does not mean they are inherently dangerous. It is important to listen to experts and follow the rules of each volcano when adventuring and exploring. Afterall, your safety is a priority. Volcanic activity is actually responsible for many of the hottest attractions in Iceland that you probably would not recognize as volcanoes. Geysers, Icelandic springs , cliffs, caves and other landforms are created as a result of volcanic activity.
Iceland only covers about , square kilometers, making it a relatively small country, yet it is home to about volcanoes. Under the land, there are over 30 active volcano systems. The only part of the island that no longer has an active volcano system is the Westfjords. The reason for this is that the Westfjords is the oldest region of Iceland and was formed about 16 million years ago. This is the only part of the country that relies on electricity to heat their water as opposed to using geothermal energy like the rest of the nation.
The reason that there are so many volcanoes in Iceland is that the country lies where two tectonic plates meet. Since these plates are not fused, extremely hot substances are able to rise from within. Iceland lies on the Mid Atlantic Ridge. This rift cuts almost directly down the center of the country.
You can actually scuba dive and snorkel in one area where these plates diverge! The plates diverge approximately 2. Although it could technically claim that it is part of both due to its land mass on both plates, Iceland identifies as neither a North American island or a European island. Volcanic eruptions are pretty unpredictable, but in Iceland, they occur relatively regularly.
It just happens. The only consistency that has been tracked over the past two hundred years is that there has been at least one eruption each decade. The most recent eruption of an Icelandic volcano that scientists can be certain of was in The Holuhraun volcano in the Highlands had a relatively large eruption which created a beautiful lava field that spanned more than 85 square kilometers in size.
Flights were cancelled and air travel was a mess. Scientists suspect that there are more volcanic eruptions but cannot be sure because many do not completely break the frozen seals that have formed over the craters.
Since there are so many active volcanoes in Iceland, Icelanders always have a little bit of fear in the back of their minds.
Even if there is not a volcano nearby, an eruption from hundreds of kilometers away could cover their homes in soot and ash. Although the fear of famine that was a reality of the past has been squashed by globalization, there are many other looming threats that come with living on an island with dozens of active volcano systems.
The three biggest dangers that come with volcanic eruptions in Iceland are ash clouds, lava fields and flooding. It is hard to say which of these factors is the most dangerous because it depends on the nature of the eruption. If a volcano begins to erupt, your best bet is to leave.
Leave your things and get out. Your stuff can be replaced, but you cannot. While volcanoes are beautiful to look at, they can be quite dangerous. The issue with volcanoes is that they are unstoppable.
You cannot reason with a volcano or talk it out of erupting. Throughout history, there have been some devastating eruptions in Iceland that will never be forgotten. Since settlement, it has caused havoc on many occasions, spewing out millions of tephra tonnes at a time.
One of Iceland's most powerful and explosive volcanoes, Katla, has been rumbling for years; scientists put out warnings every few months to notify the public of increased activity and remind them that the volcano is long overdue. Many artists have been inspired by its beauty, most notably the writers Halldor Laxness, who used it as a major setting in 'Under the Glacier', and Jules Verne, who claimed it held a cave leading to the earth's core in 'A Journey to the Centre of the Earth.
Perhaps more curiously, the volcano has drawn attention from those with a belief in the paranormal. In fact, it was believed by thousands that at midnight on November 5th, , aliens would use it as a landing site. A huge crowd gathered, including camera crews from around the world, for what turned out luckily to be a rather uneventful night.
Picture from Askja Private Tour. Askja was pretty much unknown as a volcano until when a massive eruption began here. The ash was particularly heavy, poisoning the land and killing livestock across much of the country, especially the East Fjords. Its effects were felt as far away as Norway and Sweden. Like the Laki eruptions a century earlier, Askja prompted many Icelanders to emigrate to North America.
Today, Askja is best known for the vast lake in the caldera, formed in this eruption. Despite its altitude, it remained warm for many years, though these days, it is frozen for much of the year. Krafla is a particularly active volcano in north Iceland, having erupted 29 times since settlement; nine of these eruptions occurred between and It is meters high at its highest peak, two kilometers deep, and its caldera has a diameter of ten kilometers.
Picture by Wolfgang Hasselmann. Another popular volcano in the north of Iceland is called Hverfjall or Hverfell: both are accepted names.
It has not erupted for about years, despite the volcanic activity surrounding it. Hverfjall's is well-loved because it is easy to hike for anyone comfortable on their feet; the crater is easily accessible from the Ring Road and just one kilometer in diameter. Get a vacation. Book your tours. Rent a car. Find stays. Read info. Book your trip now. Guide to Iceland. Verified Expert. Top Volcano Tours in Iceland. See more. The Fagradalsfjall Eruption in Iceland Iceland is currently experiencing a magnificent eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula, the land that connects Reykjavik with Keflavik International Airport.
See also: The Complete Guide to the Fagradalsfjall Volcanic Eruption in Geldingadalur Adding to this is that it is an effusive rather than an eruptive volcano, meaning its lava has come oozing and sputtering out of the earth, rather than exploding with a cacophony of ash, fire, and rock. See also: 10 Insane Photos of the Fagradalsfjall Volcanic Eruption at Geldingadalur Others have chosen to witness its breathtaking power and beauty from the air by booking a helicopter or small plane from Reykjavik Domestic Airport.
See also: The Ultimate Guide to Flying Drones in Iceland If you wish to travel to Fagradalsfjall yourself, understand that you do so at your own risk; it is much safer to go with a local guide who is familiar with the landscapes and trained for any eventuality. Why is Iceland so Volcanic? See also: Top 5 Islands in Iceland The Westman Islands are a volcanic archipelago, of which Heimaey is the only inhabited island; at the time of the eruption, 5, people lived there.
All in all, up to six million people were killed as a consequence of Laki. The last eruption was on the 26th of February in , but it was relatively minor. Katla: Eyjafjallajokull's Explosive Neighbour One of Iceland's most powerful and explosive volcanoes, Katla, has been rumbling for years; scientists put out warnings every few months to notify the public of increased activity and remind them that the volcano is long overdue. See also: The 5 best hot springs in Iceland.
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