Daily Volcano Briefing: Eruption Trails Reopen, Hiking With Dogs

The Meradalir eruption trails, which were closed yesterday due to a yellow weather warning, reopened to visitors this morning, reports RÚV.

To celebrate reaching 200 RVK Newscast episodes on Youtube, as well as the new eruption at Meradalir, we’re having a volcano themed giveaway! Follow our Instagram page for more info. And if you order any of our themed boxes before 25th, we’re adding a complimentary piece of lava from the new eruption to every order!

Police stopped anyone trying to drive to the eruption yesterday. According to RÚV, everyone respected the closure and no one tried to sneak into the area, unlike the last closure.

Hiking with dogs to the eruption

Matvælastofnun, the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority, is cautioning hikers not to take their pets with them to the eruption site because the stimuli can be stressful for dogs.

Additionally, rainwater in the area has been found to contain pollutants that can be harmful to dogs if ingested when they drink ground water or lick their paws.

To keep pets safe if people do choose to take them to the volcano, Matvælastofnun has four rules:

Do not let dogs drink from puddles or eat snow in the area. Have a bowl with drinking water and offer it as needed.

Try to prevent the dogs from licking their fur or scratching until they have been rinsed with water after leaving the eruption area.

Always keep dogs on a leash. Loose dogs can run into valleys where there is gas and even onto the lava. Loose dogs can also cause danger and discomfort to other people along the way by knocking them off balance or knocking over rocks.

Do not go close to the lava with a dog. Dogs are considerably shorter than humans and therefore are exposed to more gas. Stay high on the slope with the wind at your back.