Icelandic Volcanoes

Icelandic Volcanoes are the world’s most active volcanoes. One third of the total lava in the word in the last 500 years has been produced by Icelandic Volcanoes. This fact is further empowered by the total number of volcanoes found on the island – Iceland is home to 130 volcanoes, 18 of them have erupted since the settlement of the Vikings on the island. The eruption of Laki Volcano that happened in 1783 was the largest eruption in the last 500 years. Many geologists say that the eruptions at Eldgja in 934 where even larger.

Icelandic Volcanoes

Iceland is approximately the size of Ohio. Considering there are 130 volcanoes in Iceland, wherever in the country you are, you’re never too far from a volcano. Iceland lays right on top of the ocean ridge in the area where two continental plates meet. Continental plates are the slabs that make up the Earth’s crust. These plates have been in motion since the dawn of Earth. Every year they move about an inch and that movement results in formation of fissures which are most apparent in areas where the plates meet. Volcanic activity is the result of lava making its way up on the surface of the Earth through one of those gaps. There are other places on Earth where two continental plates are pushing apart but most are underwater. The unique touch of Iceland is that we get to see this part of nature at the surface.

The island of Iceland only exists because these continental plates meet in the area. Without the clash of two continental plates, this area of today’s Iceland would be deep below sea level. Study of ancient lava flow shows that seventy million years ago, lava from the mid-ocean ridge erupted and cooled forming the mass of land we know today as Iceland. It is thanks to this eruption that Iceland has its own, unique appeal you can not find anywhere else in the world.

Icelandic Volcano Laki, Photo: Juhász Péter, Wikipedia

Iceland’s explosive history has been well documented since 874 AD when the Vikings first arrived. Since then there has been over 120 eruptions that have caused many issues on the island. When Volcano Laki erupted in 1783 a chain of craters was left at its wake after it released 2.9 cubic miles of lava. It took over 218 square miles of land. Toxic particles that where shoot out into the air by Volcano Laki made it as far away as Syria. Iceland was affected heavily by the eruption – 25% of Iceland’s population died as result of poisonous fumes that were released into the air by Volcano Laki.

Another destructive eruption occured on the island of Heimaey which is a few miles off Iceland’s mainland in 1973. The eruptions were ongoing and lasted over a period of several months. Lava from the volcano destroyed half of Vestmannaeyjar, which was at the time Iceland’s most known fishing town. Casualties weren’t that high as Icelandic government took immediate action and evacuated most of Vestmannaeyjar residents. This was only possibly by spraying water on the lava to give people enough time to get out.

Aerial Photo of Vestmannaejyar, Town Destroyed by the Volcano. The volcano can be seen to the NW of the town. The whole island only houses the town of Vestmannaejyar, a harbor, an airport and a volcano. Photo: ccgd, Flickr

Because of this volcanic activity Iceland is one of the most studied regions for volcanoes. A fascinating discovery happened in the 1960’s when an underwater volcano erupted off the coast of Iceland. This eruption was noteworthy because so much lava emerged from the eruption that a new island was formed. The island was named Surtsey by Icelandic officials. It doesn’t happen every day that an even of such proportions occurs. Creation of Surtsey Island required redrawing of world maps – where there was previously ocean is now an island. Scientists have been keeping a keen eye on Surtsey Island as it offers absolutely unique way of observing how species go about colonizing newly created land.

Iceland might be the volcano center of the world averaging an eruption every five years. Icelandic Volcanoes helped carve the island into a unique place it is today. Scientists and tourists travel year in and year out to see what nature has in store at this hot bed for activity.

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