Volcanic Eruptions in Iceland
There have been quite a few recent volcanic eruptions in Iceland over the last few years. We have detailed a few on this webpage which we hope you will enjoy with some fantastic pictures capturing the epic moments forever.
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Volcanoes
Iceland was formed by volcanic activity, and has over 100 volcanoes. Around 30 remain active to some degree, with large-scale eruptions thankfully rare. No memory of a visit to Iceland is complete without seeing at least one volcano, but due to recent eruptions do check ahead before you leave, and shop around for the tour that suits your needs. Here are five of the best to see during your visit.
Eyjafjallajökull’s first eruptions for nearly 200 years has seen it earn fame on an international scale, even if many people have trouble pronouncing its name – for the record, it is ay-uh-fyat-luh-yo-kuutl (-uh). An amazing spectacle, an eruption offers the chance to see tomorrow’s landscape develop before your eyes. Ash clouds formed from its eruptions have so far caused huge numbers of cancelled/delayed flights in and out of the country.
One of Iceland’s ‘angry sisters’, along with Hekla, Katla is one of the islands biggest eruptors, and neighbours Eyjafjallajökull. Her last major eruption came in 1918, with minor outbursts most recently in 1999. Believed to be the gateway to hell in the middle ages, geologists are monitoring the volcano with added concern following the recent activity in the area, with a major eruption likely to cause flooding on a grand scale.
Hekla’s last major eruption lasted nearly a year, from 1947-48. One of Iceland’s most active volcanoes, it is also one of the most distinctive on the island, resembling an upturned boat from one side, and a conical mountain from the other. Following a small eruption in 2000, a walker’s path can be traced almost as far as the summit.
Perhaps most famous for a seven-month period of activity in the 1783, causing huge losses to the farming industry, Grímsvötn’s eruptions resulted in a famine that reduced Iceland’s population by as much as one-fifth. This was a leading contributory factor to an increase in volcanic study by geologists worldwide.
Last erupting in 1961, Askja sits at the heart of a popular tourist destination, although due to its location the area is largely inaccessible for part of the year, the region being open for business between June and October. Askja is renowned for being one of the sites used by astronauts for geological research during the Apollo programs of the 1960s.
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