Volcanoes
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Fire Photographers: Books About Volcanoes In Iceland
The Geldingardalir eruption resulted in more than unique experiences for hikers and tourists, it also piqued the creativity of photographers who ventured to capture the blazing hot moment in time. Luckily for those who didn’t make it out to the eruption…
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Earthquakes Calming, Reminding Scientists Of Last March’s Pre-Eruption Events
The earthquake swarm which began on December 21st has been considerably calmer over the past 24 hours or so, but we are not out of the woods yet. [su_pullquote]Enter a competition to win a box of Grapevine goodies! Just sign up for…
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3.6 Earthquake Recorded Yesterday, Eruption Watch Continues
According to data from the Icelandic Met Office, there were six earthquakes of a magnitude greater than 3 yesterday. [su_pullquote]Enter a competition to win a box of Grapevine goodies! Just sign up for our newsletter here before 15:00 Icelandic time on New…
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Seismic Activity In Reykjanes Continues, SMS Alert System Reactivated
A new alert from the Icelandic Met Office states that most of the seismic activity that started up again on December 21st has been centered around Fagrsdalsfjall. [su_pullquote]Enter a competition to win a box of Grapevine goodies! Just sign up for our…
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About 5,000 Earthquakes Near Fagradalsfjall Since Tuesday, 4.0 Early This Morning
There have been about 5,000 earthquakes around Fagradalsfjall since the earthquake swarm in the area began last Tuesday, RÚV reports. The vast majority of these have been below a magnitude of 3.0. [su_pullquote]Need a Christmas present pronto? Get the Iceland lover in…
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Seismic Roundup: Quakes Move West, Scientist Says Could Be Prelude To Eruption
Ten earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 3 have been recorded since midnight last night, according to the latest data from the Icelandic Met Office. In a surprise twist, none of these were located near the Fagradalsfjall mountain—rather, they have all been…
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Seismic Roundup: Quietest Night In Weeks, Scientists Outline Possible Scenarios
The earthquakes of Reykjanes have quieted down considerably, with only five quakes with a magnitude greater than 3 recorded in the area since midnight before Wednesday. Scientists are nonetheless cautioning that it is still too early to dismiss the possibility of a…
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Seismic Roundup: Eruption Could Occur With Little Warning, Quakes Continue
There have been 27 earthquakes since midnight that were measured with a magnitude greater than 3 in Reykjanes, at the time of this writing, with the largest being a 5.1 recorded at about 03:15 this morning. Almost all of these were located…
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BREAKING: Eruption Now Very Likely On The Way
New data being reviewed by scientists in Iceland now show strong signs that a volcanic eruption may be on the way, RÚV reports. As it stands now, there are signs of restlessness just south of Keilir that are usually indicative of a…
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Earthquake Roundup: Most Likely That Quakes Stop Without Eruption
While Iceland’s current earthquake swarm may lead to an eruption, all available data shows it much more likely that the earthquakes will eventually end without magma reaching the surface, Vísir reports. Scientists are nonetheless exploring possible scenarios for what might happen if…
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Earthquake Roundup: New Data Raises Concerns Of Eruption, Swarms Continue
New satellite imagery indicates that the ongoing cluster of earthquakes which Iceland has been experiencing could be attributed, in part, to magma movement under the areas where the quakes have been strongest, Vísir reports. While this does not mean an eruption is…
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Ask A Scientist: How Do You Know When A Volcano Will Erupt?
Volcanoes! Everyone loves volcano news, but living close to one when it erupts, not so much. That’s why Iceland has a team of scientists who dedicate their lives to monitoring their activity and letting Civic Protection know when one of them looks…
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Listening To Volcanoes: Volcano Science Is A Quiet Job—Until It Isn’t
“I grew up in this field,” Baldur Bergsson, a specialist in monitoring at the Icelandic Met Office, tells us as we drive to one of two sites where we will see if a volcanic eruption is imminent. “My father’s been installing seismic…
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Follow Iceland’s Volcanic Activity In Real Time
Geology nerds and the simply curious alike can now monitor 32 of Iceland’s volcanoes—most of them still active—in real time. The Icelandic Volcanoes website is issued by the Icelandic Met Office, the University of Iceland Earth Sciences Department, and the National Commissioner…
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Sounding The Alarm: How Iceland Responds To Natural Disasters
It is common knowledge to people with even the most cursory knowledge of Iceland that we live on a very geologically active island. Earthquakes are a constant occurrence (even if most of the tremors are too small to be noticeable, let alone…
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Ask A Scientist: How Is Volcanic Ash Harmful For Airplanes?
You might remember the infamous Eyjafjallajökull eruption of 2010, bain to newscasters and boon to the Icelandic tourist industry, and the sweeping air travel ban across much of Europe that followed. Plenty of people were annoyed, not least of all for how…
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Volcanic Apocalypse Now: The Ever Present Risk Of Death
It is the stuff of nightmares—or movies starring Pierce Brosnan and Tommy Lee Jones—but it’s also a reality people living in Iceland face: the ever present danger of living on an island that’s one huge explosive volcano. As the lava runs down…
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Heroes & Villains – The 14th One
Our new hero is the Icelandic volcano. Iceland is riddled with volcanoes, and they come in a variety of shapes, sizes and types. Some of them bellow giant plumes of ash into the sky, some of them sputter and roar with photogenic…
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Iceland’s Top 5 Volcanoes: Hot Or Not?
With the recent news that seismic activity was recorded around the volcano Katla, international media sources were quick to declare that a massive eruption was set to go off in Iceland any day now. While the truth is more complicated than that…
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Volcano Watch: A Closer Look At Katla
Hvolsvöllur is a sleepy village in south Iceland, between Hella and Seljalandsfoss. It’s a somewhat forgettable, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it settlement of just a few small hangars and stores, a bank, and a handful houses, all whipped by dust from the steady tourist traffic of…
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Harnessing Volcanoes in Iceland
Over and over again, news reports highlight the possibility of an undersea cable, connecting Icelandic power plants to the UK grid. This expensive device would transmit 500-1,000 megawatts, enough to supply a single large city with electricity. One can look at that…
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Where Are The Glowing Rocks?
As you would expect, many visitors to Iceland are more than eager to view the country’s famous volcanoes. They may, however, be surprised to discover little more than rugged, cold lava flows and non-smoking volcanoes. These are of course fine sights, but…