When was the eyjafjallajokull volcano

The facilities are open all year round. A composite volcano is just another word for stratovolcano. This means that the volcano is made up of layers of ash, lava, and solid stone. As far as eruptions go, the Eyjafjallajokull eruption was relatively explosive! In silent eruptions, only a thin stream of lava spills out of the volcano. In more explosive eruptions, the blast is greater and produces more lava and ash.

The enormous ash cloud was produced by the meeting of upwelling magma with cold glacial waters. The dramatic contrast between cold and hot created more ash. Eyjafjallajokull is a somewhat active volcano. That means that although it erupts, those eruptions only happen every few centuries. In comparison, nearby Katla Volcano at least once a century! However, this eruption is not likely to occur for a long time. Read more about the science here. Eyjafjallajokull has erupted three times in recorded history: in , , and Much smaller eruptions occurred in the interim, but they had essentially no impact.

The eruption most famously brought a stop to air traffic over Iceland and Northern Europe. You can still see the effects of the eruption in the surrounding area, including layers of ash and newly-formed craters. The Eyjafjallajokull eruption did not harm life in Iceland. Thorsmork Volcano Hike 14 reviews. Availability Apr - Oct. Duration hours. Departs From Reykjavik. Level Challenging. Minimum age 14 years. Ratio Pick Up Yes. Meet on Location No.

View Tour. Volume outside the 0. Separate isopach maps were constructed for the east-directed sector formed on 14—16 April, the south-directed sector formed on 17 April and for the whole deposit Fig. The volume of tephra deposited on land for the period 18 April—22 May was obtained by subtracting the volume erupted on 14—18 April from the whole-deposit map. The partitioning between 18 April—4 May, 5—17 May and 18—22 May is estimated from 1 the integrated plume height over the two periods eq.

We assume piecewise exponential decline with distance 37 , 38 , The form of the dotted contours outside the coast on Fig.

Error estimates for material deposited outside Iceland are based on a minimum extrapolation that still allows for some material to be transported past the Faroe Islands and a maximum estimate that still limits fallout equivalent to 0.

The same value is used for water-transported tephra. Total grain size partitioning for the 14—16 April east-directed sector was done by defining the three zones on land Fig. Eruption plume height Fig. From the isopach maps on land and piecewise exponential decline outside Iceland we obtain total volume for different periods.

In order to partition the erupted material into shorter periods of six hours Fig. H med and H max are respectively the median and maximum values of plume height over vent for the interval. The scaling factor k i is found to take the values 2. Note that these scaling factors are dependent on our choice of using the mean of median and maximum height for each interval; slightly different scaling values are found if 5 minute plume height data is integrated directly 6 , We are not attempting to refine the Mastin formula in any general way, only scale it in such a way that when integrated it yields values that fit our total volume estimates.

The plume was pulsating over long periods, displaying considerable variations in height over time scales of hours. The maximum height might also be applied or the the use of shorter intervals, leading to slightly different values of k i. The six hourly means, however, require minimal editing or interpolation of gaps in the plume height record 45 and are therefore used here.

As noted above, we also use the scaled plume discharge values from equation 2 to estimate partitioning of the volume obtained for 18 April—22 May into the individual main phases Table 1. Composition of the magma was obtained by Cameca SX electron microprobe at the University of Edinburgh Wilson, L. The control of volcanic column heights by eruption energetic and dynamics. ADS Google Scholar. Sparks, R. Thorarinsson, S. The tephra fall from Hekla on March 29th, In: The eruption of Hekla —, 2, 1—78 Google Scholar.

Ansmann, A. Pietruczuk, A. Remote Sensing 31, — Schumann, U. Airborne observations of the Eyjafjalla volcano ash cloud over Europe during air space closure in April and May Stohl, A. Sigmundsson, F. Nature , — Pedersen, R. Edwards, B. Sigmarsson, O. Solid Earth 2, — Petersen, G. Applied Geochemistry 26, S—S Stevenson, J. Gislason, S.

Papale, P. Strain-induced magma fragmentation in explosive eruptions. Stress-induced fragmentation of magmatic melts: Theory and experiments. Thordarson, T. EGU General Assembly Geophysical Research Abstracts, Vol.

Dellino, P. Mastin, L. A multidisciplinary effort to assign realistic source parameters to models of volcanic ash-cloud transport and dispersion during eruptions. Bonadonna, C. Thickness variations and volume estimates of tephra fall deposits: the importance of particle Reynolds number. J Volcanol. Rose, W. Fine ash content of explosive eruptions. Carey, S. Influence of particle aggregation on deposition of distal tephra from the May 18, , eruption of Mount St.

Helens volcano. In: Druitt T. Geological Society of London, Memoir 21, — Taddeucci, J. Geology 39, — Dacre, H. Prata, A. Retrieval of microphysical and morphological properties of volcanic ash plumes from satellite data: Application to Mt. Ruapehu, New Zealand. The pyroclastic deposits of the eruption of Askja, Iceland. Larsen, G. Holocene tephra archives and tephrochronology in Iceland - a brief overview. Davies, S. Gudmundsson, M. Volcanic hazards in Iceland.

Volcanism in Iceland in historical time: Volcano types, eruption styles and eruptive history. Jude-Eton, T. Bull Volcanol. Holocene eruptions within the Katla volcanic system, south Iceland. Probabilistic model for eruptions and associated flood events in the Katla caldera, Iceland. Computational Geosciences 10, — Fierstein, J.

Another look at the calculation of fallout tephra volumes. Total grain-size distribution and volume of tephra-fall deposits. Postglacial volcanism in Iceland.

Arting, U. Abstracts, 16 Implications for crustal and thermal structure. Wen, S. Arason, P. Earth Syst. Data 3, 9—17 Hayward, C. The Holocene 22, — Today the aftermath of the volcanic eruption can be seen in Thorsmork Glacier Valley, the natural oasis that lies just behind the volcano. You can also see a part of the ice cap is still covered in ash, though that is slowly disappearing under layers of snow.

Perhaps you would like to go on a snowmobile tour on the ice cap and see the crater, which also offers you a great view of southern part of Iceland. Eyjafjallajokull is a strato volcano. It is a conical volcano built by many layers of hardened lava, tephra, pumice and volcanic ash. Strata volcanoes are among the most common volcanoes.

Due to the glacier on top of Eyjafjallajokull eruptions are explosive and contain much ash. A large magma chamber under the mountain feeds Eyjafjallajokull.

The chamber derives magma from the tectonic divergence of the Mid-Atlantic ridge. The volcano is a part of the chain of volcanoes that stretch across Iceland , including volcanoes like Hekla , Katla and Grimsvotn. Eyjafjallajokull and Katla , neighbouring volcanoes, are believed to be related. Eruptions of Eyjafjallajokull have usually been followed by eruptions of the volcanoe Katla , which is a far larger and more powerful volcano than Eyjafjallajokull. Not far from Eyjafjallajokull volcano is a very nice museum dedicated to the volcanoes in Iceland, called Lava center.

You can find it in Hvolsvollur village. Eyjafjallajokull and neighbouring Myrdalsjokull dominate the landscape in South-Iceland and can be seen miles away.

We recommend that you make a stop at viewpoints and admire the volcanoes from afar. There are a few along the road. Making a stop at Seljalandsfoss waterfall is almost mandatory and walk behind the waterfall. In the summer the waterfall can be a bit crowded, just as Skogarfoss waterfall, since both are popular tourist attractions. It is more than worth it, since the small valley is beautiful, serene and peaceful.

If you do stop there, make the hike to the top of Valahnukur, which is about 1. The hike offers a superb and panoramic view of the surrounding mountains and Thorsmork Valley.