Вулканическая активность в Исландии: история и последствия

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The volcano system in Iceland that started activity on August 17, 2014, and ended on February 27, 2015, is Bárðarbunga. The volcano in Iceland that erupted in May 2011 is Grímsvötn. Iceland experiences frequent volcanic activity, due to its location both on the Mid Atlantic Ridge, a divergent tectonic plate boundary, and being over a hotspot. Nearly thirty volcanoes are known to have erupted in the Holocene epoch; these include Eldgjá, source of the largest lava eruption in human history. Some of the various eruptions of lava, gas and ash have been both destructive of property and deadly to life over the years, as well as disruptive to local and European air travel.

Hekla has erupted more than 20 times in recorded history. It was known to medieval Europeans as the Gate of Hell; that reputation persisted into the 19th century.

The most deadly volcanic eruption of Iceland's history was the so called Skaftáreldar (fires of Skaftá) in 1783 1784. The eruption was in the crater row Lakagígar (craters of Laki) southwest of Vatnajökull glacier. The craters are a part of a larger volcanic system with the subglacial Grímsvötn as a central volcano. Roughly a fifth of the Icelandic population died because of the eruption.

Eldfell is a volcanic cone on the east side of the island of Heimaey which formed during an eruption in January 1973. The eruption happened without warning, causing the island's population of about 5,300 people to evacuate on fishing boats within a few hours. Importantly, the progress of lava into the harbour was slowed by manual spraying of seawater. One person died, and the eruption resulted in the destruction of homes and property on the island.

The eruption under Eyjafjallajökull in April 2010 caused extreme disruption to air travel across western and northern Europe over a period of six days in April 2010. About 20 countries closed their airspace to commercial jet traffic and it affected approximately 10 million travellers. The eruption had a VEI of 4, the largest known from Eyjafjallajökull. Several previous eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull have been followed soon afterwards by eruptions of the larger volcano Katla, but after the 2010 eruption, no activity occurred at Katla.

The eruption in May 2011 at Grímsvötn under the Vatnajökull glacier sent thousands of tonnes of ash into the sky in a few days, raising concerns of the potential for travel chaos across northern Europe although only about 900 flights were initially disrupted.

Bárðarbunga is a stratovolcano and is roughly above sea level in central Iceland, i. e. in the northern edge of Vatnajökull. This makes it the second highest mountain in Iceland. Hóluhraun is an older lavafield situated north east of Bárðarbunga, south of Askja (last eruption 1961), at an altitude of about
Here the eruption started on August 17, 2014, and lasted for 180 days. The 2014 2015 eruption was Iceland's largest in 230 years. Following a major earthquake swarm, multiple lava fountain eruptions began in Holuhraun. The lava flow rate was between and came from a dyke over long. An ice filled subsidence bowl over in area and up to deep formed as well.

Following a three week period of increased seismic activity, an eruption fissure developed near Fagradalsfjall, a mountain on the Reykjanes Peninsula. Lava flow from a 200 meter fissure was first discovered by an Icelandic Coast Guard helicopter on March 19, 2021, in the Geldingadalur area near Grindavík, and within hours the fissure had grown to in length. Another eruption, very similar to the 2021 eruption, began on 3 August 2022, and ceased on 21 August 2022.

On 10 July 2023 at 16:40 UTC, a fissure eruption began adjacent to the summit of Litli Hrútur.

On December 18, 2023, at 22:17 near Hagafell, the volcano began a fissure eruption. In January, 2024 lava from this eruption destroyed 3 houses in the nearby town of Grindavík.

The smooth flowing basaltic lava pāhoehoe is known in Icelandic as helluhraun It forms smooth surfaces that are quite easy to cross. More viscous lava forms ʻaʻā flows, known in Icelandic as apalhraun The loose, broken, sharp, spiny surface of an ʻaʻā flow makes hiking across it difficult, slow and dangerous, it is easy to stick a foot into a hole and break a leg.