(Credit: Vilhelm Gunnarsson/Getty Images)
On Friday 19th of March, lava started to burst out through a crack in Mount Fagradalsfjall. The eruption took place 40 kilometers away from the country’s capital Reykjavik but citizens could still see the lava. On the same day, the site was blocked for safety reasons. But, on the 20th, visitors were allowed to make the trek to the volcano.
This is the first eruption in the Reykjanes peninsula in nearly 800 years. However, this volcanic eruption was expected. Over a thousand small earthquakes occurring over the last month and a half led to the conclusion that magma was moving beneath the ground and was soon going to erupt. Finally, lava broke through the surface of Fagradalsfjall, around evening time on the 19th of March.
Although this particular eruption might have been quite different, Iceland, containing approximately 130 volcanoes (30 of which are active), is among the most volcanically active places globally, having approximately one eruption every five years. This is because of its geographical location. Iceland is on the separation between the Eurasian and the North American tectonic plates, whose shifting is partly responsible for Iceland’s volcanic activity (EarthSky, 2021).
While small compared to recent eruptions in Iceland, the event was bright and large enough for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s satellites to observe. The satellite acquired a nighttime view of western Iceland through a thin layer of clouds. In the images, the eruption appears as a new patch of light near Reykjavik and Reykjanesbær, a town in the peninsula.
To date, researchers keep learning about discoveries due to the eruption. Although these changes are small, it has provided scientists with very interesting results and insights into a kind of eruption that hasn’t happened on Iceland for a very long time. However, we still have yet to see what discoveries arrive from such a long-awaited eruption that could potentially lead to new concealed information.
Anika
Bibliography
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“Dormant Volcano That Came to Life in Iceland.” Iceland News | Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 21 Mar. 2021, www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2021/3/21/long-dormant-volcano-comes-to-life-in-southwestern-iceland.
“Eruption Mar 2021 on the Reykjanes Peninsula: Activity Updates.” Volcano Discovery, 24 Mar. 2021, www.volcanodiscovery.com/reykjanes/crisis2021/current-activity.html.
“Iceland Volcano Eruption: Onlookers Flock to See Mount Fagradalsfjall.” BBC News, BBC, 22 Mar. 2021, www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56482798.
Imster, Eleanor. “Stunning Images of Fagradalsfjall Volcano in Iceland.” EarthSky, 25 Mar. 2021, earthsky.org/earth/fagradalsfjall-volcano-eruption-images-march-2021-iceland.
“Volcanic Eruption Lights Up Iceland.” NASA, NASA, 22 Mar. 2021, earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/148079/volcanic-eruption-lights-up-iceland.
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