![]() ![]() This volcano erupted in 2010 and was all over the news because it produced so much ash that it grounded 100,000 flights and closed European air space. When you think of Icelandic volcanoes, the one you will probably remember is the eruption of the volcano with the long, hard to pronounce name that had news readers getting their tongues in a twist: Eyjafjallajökull, which sits under a glacier in southern Iceland. The main volcanic rift zones in Iceland, with Bárðarbunga volcano beneath the Vatnajökull ice sheet. Magma (molten rock) can erupt from the central volcano itself, or travel through the cracks of the fissure swarm to create long lines of eruptions far from the volcano itself. Iceland has over 30 active volcanic systems, which have a central volcano in the middle with long cracks spreading outwards to the north and south (fissure swarms). But at Iceland we see the process on land because a hot upwelling from deep within the Earth also sits beneath Iceland, pushing it upwards out of the sea and making the area even more volcanically active. This rifting process is happening all the way down the middle of the Atlantic Ocean beneath the sea. As the tectonic plates split apart magma (molten rock) wells up from below forming volcanoes, which creates new land in between. These two blocks are moving apart at around 2 cm per year (approximately the rate that your finger nails grow) and are slowly widening the Atlantic Ocean increasing the distance from Europe to North America. Iceland sits on crack in the surface of the Earth where two tectonic plates (large blocks that make up the outer most layer of the Earth) are ripping apart from each other. Learn about the 2014 Bárðarbunga eruption and the massive Holuhraun lava field that it created.ĭiscover interesting facts that you might not know about earthquakes and volcanoes. ![]() On this page you can learn more about the science behind them: Make sure you will be able to launch from the beach in the morning if the wind or weather changes overnight.Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are incredible and dramatic natural events. When choosing a landing/camping site, use clues such as driftwood accumulation, beach steepness and cobble size to judge what the wave action is likely to be in storm conditions. Sudden waves from calving ice can slam the shore with surprising power, sweeping away kayaks and gear stored well above the apparent high tide line. It is more dangerous than it looks!Īvoid landing on beaches within two miles of a tidewater glacier. Do not attempt to climb on the ice unless you have technical climbing skills and proper equipment. Since the glacier's movement can cause rapid changes. Obey all warning signs, but also keep an eye out for dangers that may not be signed. If you must approach the edge of a glacier, pick a place where the ice slopes gently to the ground. Seeing an active glacier up close is an unforgettable experience, but it is extremely dangerous to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Never enter an ice cave!īy definition, a glacier is "ice on the move." Forward momentum causes ice to crack and rock-hard chunks ranging from softball- to Volkswagen-size break off without warning. Stay away from steep walls of ice, overhangs, or areas with visible cracks and/or pieces of broken ice lying on the ground. ![]()
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