Volcanoes scare and attract a man. For centuries they can sleep. An example is the recent history of Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano. People cultivate fields on the slopes of the mountains of fire, conquer their peaks, build houses. But sooner or later the fire-breathing mountain will wake up, bring destruction and misfortune.
It is the sixth glacier in Iceland, located in the south 125 km east of Reykjavik. Under it and partially beneath the neighboring Myrdalsjökull glacier, a volcano has a conical shape.
The height of the peak of the glacier is 1666 meters, its area is about 100 km². Volcanic crater reaches a diameter of 4 km. Five years ago, glaciers covered its slopes. The nearest settlement is Skougar village, located in the south of the glacier. From here the Skogau River originates, with the famous Skogafoss waterfall.
Eyyafyatlayokudl - the origin of the name
The name of the volcano comes from three Icelandic words that denote an island, glacier and mountain. This is probably why it is so difficult to pronounce and poorly remembered. According to linguists, only a small part of the inhabitants of the Earth can pronounce this name correctly - Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano. The translation from Icelandic sounds literally as "the island of mountain glaciers."
Volcano without a name
As such, the phrase “Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano” entered the world lexicon in 2010. This is funny when you consider that in fact there is no fire-breathing mountain with that name in nature. There are many glaciers and volcanoes in Iceland. The last number on the island is about thirty. 125 kilometers from Reykjavik, in the south of Iceland, there is a fairly large glacier. He shared his name with Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano.
It is under it that there is a volcano, which for many centuries did not come up with a name. He is nameless. In April 2010, he stirred the whole of Europe, for a while becoming the world newsmaker. In order not to call him in the media, his name was proposed by the name of the glacier - Eyyafyatlayokudl. In order not to confuse our readers, we will call it the same.
Description
Eyyafyatlayokudl is a typical stratovolcano. In other words, its cone is formed by numerous layers of a frozen mixture of lava, ash, stones, etc.
The volcano of Iceland Eyyafyatlayokudl active for 700 thousand years, but since 1823 he was assigned to the category of sleeping. This suggests that since the beginning of the XIX century it has not been erupted. The state of Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano did not cause any particular concern to scientists. They found that over the past millennium he erupted several times. True, these manifestations of activity could be attributed to calm - they did not pose a danger to people. According to documents, the last eruptions did not differ in large emissions of volcanic ash, lava and hot gases.
Eyyafyatlayokudl Irish volcano - the story of one eruption
As already mentioned, after the eruption in 1823, the volcano was recognized as sleeping. At the end of 2009, seismic activity intensified in it. Until March 2010, there were about a thousand tremors with a force of 1-2 points. This unrest occurred at a depth of about 10 km.
In February 2010, employees of the Meteorological Institute of Iceland using GPS measurements recorded a displacement of the earth's crust by 3 cm to the southeast in the glacier area. Activity continued to increase and reached its maximum by March 3 - 5. At this time, up to three thousand tremors per day were recorded.
Awaiting eruption
The authorities decided to evacuate 500 local residents from the danger zone around the volcano, fearing flooding of the area, which could cause the intense Eyyafyatlayokudl covering the volcano of Iceland. For safety reasons, the Keflavik International Airport was shut down.
Since March 19, tremors have moved east of the northern crater. They were bugged at a depth of 4 - 7 km. Gradually, the activity spread further east, and tremors began to occur closer to the surface.
At 23:00 on April 13, Iceland’s scientists recorded seismic activity in the central part of the volcano, to the west of the two formed cracks. An hour later, a new eruption began in the south of the central caldera. A column of hot ash rose 8 km.
Another crack appeared, more than 2 kilometers long. The glacier began to thaw actively, and its waters flowed both north and south, into populated areas. Urgently 700 people were evacuated. During the day, meltwater flooded the highway, the first damage occurred. In southern Iceland, sediments of volcanic ash were recorded.
By April 16, the ash column reached 13 kilometers. This caused alarm among scientists. When ash rises to a height above 11 kilometers above sea level, it penetrates the stratosphere and can be transported over long distances. The spread of ash in the east was promoted by a powerful anticyclone over the North Atlantic.
Last eruption
This happened on March 20, 2010. On this day, the last volcanic eruption in Iceland began. Eyyafyatlayokudl finally woke up at 23:30 GMT. In the east of the glacier, a fault was formed, the length of which was about 500 meters.
No large ash emissions were recorded at this time. On April 14, the eruption intensified. It was then that powerful emissions of gigantic volumes of volcanic ash appeared. In this regard, airspace over part of Europe was closed until April 20, 2010. Occasionally, flights were limited in May 2010. Experts rated the intensity of the eruption on a VEI scale of 4 points.
Dangerous ashes
It should be noted that there was nothing outstanding in the behavior of Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano. After seismic activity, which lasted several months, a rather calm volcanic eruption began in the glacier area on the night of March 20 to 21. This was not even mentioned in the press. Everything changed only on the night of April 13-14, when the eruption began to be accompanied by the release of a giant volume of volcanic ash, and its pillar reached a huge height.
What caused the air transport collapse?
It is worth recalling that since March 20, 2010, air transport collapse has hung over the Old World. It was connected to the volcanic cloud that created the suddenly awakened Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano. Where this mountain, silent since the 19th century, gained strength, it is unknown, but gradually a huge cloud of ash, which began to form on April 14, covered Europe.
After the closure of airspace, more than three hundred airports across Europe were paralyzed. Volcanic ashes also brought many worries to Russian specialists. In our country, hundreds of flights have been delayed or completely canceled. Thousands of people, including Russians, expected an improvement in the situation at airports around the world.
And the cloud of volcanic ash seemed to play with people, daily changing the direction of movement and completely "did not listen" to the opinions of experts, reassuring desperate people that the eruption would not last long.
Geophysicists of the weather service of Iceland on April 18 told RIA Novosti that they were not able to predict the duration of the eruption. Mankind prepared for a protracted “battle” with the volcano and began to calculate considerable losses.
Oddly enough, for Iceland itself, the awakening of Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano did not have any serious consequences, except, perhaps, the evacuation of the population and the temporary closure of one airport.
And for continental Europe, a huge pillar of volcanic ash became a real disaster, of course, in the transport aspect. This was due to the fact that volcanic ash has such physical properties that are extremely dangerous for aviation. If it hits an airplane’s turbine, it can stop the engine, which will undoubtedly lead to a terrible disaster.
The risk for aviation is significantly increased due to the large accumulation of volcanic ash in the air, which significantly reduces visibility. This is especially dangerous when landing. Volcanic ash can cause malfunctions in the on-board electronics and radio equipment, on which flight safety is largely dependent.
Loss
The eruption of Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano caused losses to European travel companies. They claim that their losses exceeded $ 2.3 billion, and the damage that hit their pocket daily was approximately $ 400 million.
Airlines losses were officially calculated in the amount of 1.7 billion dollars. The awakening of the mountain of fire affected 29% of world aviation. Every day, more than a million passengers became hostages of the eruption.
Russian Aeroflot suffered as well. During the closure of overhead lines over Europe, the company failed to complete 362 flights on time. Her losses amounted to millions of dollars.
Opinions of experts
Experts argue that the volcanic cloud is indeed a serious danger to aircraft. When an aircraft hits it, the crew notes very poor visibility. On-board electronics works with big interruptions.
The resulting glassy “shirts” on the blades of the engine rotor, clogging of the holes that are used to supply air to the engine and other parts of the aircraft, can cause their failure. The captains of the air ships agree with this.
Katla Volcano
After the attenuation of the Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano, many scientists predicted an even more powerful eruption of another Icelandic fiery mountain - Katla. It is much larger and more powerful than Eyyafyatlayokudl.
For the last two millennia, when a person watched the eruptions of Eyyafyatlayokudl, Katla also exploded with an interval of six months.
These volcanoes are located in the south of Iceland, at a distance of eighteen kilometers from each other. They are connected by a common underground magma channel system. Katla Crater is located under the Mirdalsjekull Glacier. Its area is 700 square meters. km, thickness - 500 meters. Scientists are sure that when it is erupted into the atmosphere, ash will fall ten times more than in 2010. But fortunately, despite the menacing forecasts of scientists, Katla has not yet shown signs of life.
.
Ejafjädlajökull volcano eruption (also “Eyyafyadlayek atfor "; fig. Eyjafjallajökull) in Iceland began on the night of March 20-21, 2010 and took place in several stages. The main consequence of the eruption was the release of a cloud of volcanic ash, which disrupted air traffic in Northern Europe.
The first eruption.
Since the end of 2009, seismic activity has intensified in Eyjafjädlajokull. Until March 2010, about a thousand tremors occurred with a force of 1-2 points at a depth of 7-10 km under the volcano.
At the end of February 2010, GPS measurements conducted by the Icelandic Meteorological Institute in the area of \u200b\u200bthe glacier recorded a movement of the earth's crust by 3 cm in a southeast direction. Seismic activity continued to increase and reached a maximum on March 3-5 (three thousand tremors per day).
Temperature map
About 500 local residents were resettled from the zone around the volcano (since the intensive melting of the glacier, under which the volcano was located, could cause flooding of the area). Keflavik International Airport (Keflavik City) was closed.
On March 19, tremors began east of the northern crater at a depth of 4-7 km. Then the activity began to spread east and rise to the surface.
The volcanic eruption began on March 20, 2010 between 22:30 and 23:30 GMT. At this time, a 0.5 km long fault was formed in the eastern part of the glacier (at an altitude of about 1000 m above sea level, in the direction from north-east to south-west). During the eruption, large ash emissions were not recorded, the cloud rose to a height of about 1 km.
On March 25, due to melted glacier water entering the crater, an explosion of steam occurred in the crater, after which the eruption passed into a more stable phase.
On March 31 at about 7 p.m. (Icelandic time) a new crack opened (0.3 km long), which is located about 200 m northeast of the first.
The second eruption.
The second eruption, view from the north, April 2, 2010.
On April 13, at about 11:00 p.m., seismic activity was recorded under the central part of the volcano, west of two erupting cracks. About an hour later, a new eruption began on the southern edge of the central caldera. The ash column rose 8 km. A new crack was formed with a length of about 2 km (in the direction from north to south). Water from the active melting of the glacier flowed both to the north and to the south, into the inhabited areas. About 700 people were evacuated. During the day, the highway was flooded with meltwater, and destruction occurred. In southern Iceland, sediments of volcanic ash are recorded.
The trace of the volcanic eruption on April 15 in the high-pressure area over the Norwegian Sea. Aqua satellite image.
April 15-16, the height of the ash column reached 13 km. When ash reaches a height above 11 km above sea level, it enters the stratosphere with possible transport over considerable distances. Significant spread of the ash cloud in the east contributed to the anticyclone over the North Atlantic.
Volcano eruption trail on April 15. Aqua satellite image.
On April 17-18, the eruption continued. The height of the ash column was estimated at 8-8.5 km, which means the cessation of the eruption of erupted material in the stratosphere.
Impact on air traffic in Europe.
On April 15, 2010, due to the high intensity of the eruption and emission of ash, air traffic in northern Sweden, Denmark, Norway and the northern regions of the United Kingdom was suspended.
Due to the high concentration of volcanic ash in the air on April 15, 2010 (the ash cloud rose to a height of 6 km), all airports in the UK ceased to function from noon, from 21:00 Moscow time Danish airports were closed. In total, from April 15, 2010, from 5 to 6 thousand flights were canceled in Europe.
At the same time, the airspace of Iceland itself and its airports remained open.
Flights to Europe from America and Asia (USA, China, Japan) were postponed indefinitely.
According to estimates by the International Air Transport Association, daily airline losses from canceled flights were at least USD 200 million.
The Association of European Airlines on April 19 called for an “immediate review of restrictions and prohibitions” on flights in the airspace of the European Union. According to the results of test flights conducted by some European airlines, ashes are not dangerous for air traffic. The International Air Transport Association has criticized European governments for the lack of thoughtfulness in introducing flight bans. " European governments made a decision without consulting with anyone and not adequately assessing the degree of risk, - said the head of ICAO, Giovanni Bizignani. - It is based on theoretical calculations, not facts.».
According to Matias Root, Director General of the EU Transport Organization, the flight ban was caused by a computer program of dubious scientific value that simulates the spread of volcanic ash. He called on EU leaders to consider adopting US safety rules. " Across the Atlantic, airlines would have been advised not to fly over the volcano. Otherwise, all the necessary precautions would be provided to determine the carriers themselves"Said Matias Ruth.
The volcanic eruption prevented the leaders of many heads of state from flying to the funeral of Polish President Lech Kaczynski and those who died in a plane crash near Smolensk on April 10, 2010.
Distribution of volcanic ash in Russia.
According to Met Office, UK, as of 18:36 on April 18, 2010, volcanic ash in Russia was recorded in the Kola Peninsula, in the south of the Central Federal District, part of the Volga, Southern and North Caucasian Federal Districts, as well as in the north- East of the NWFD. St. Petersburg was located on the border of the alleged distribution of ash; according to forecasts, the ash was to reach the city on the night of April 18-19. Volcanic ash was not recorded on the territory of Moscow, and its distribution was not expected in the next day (April 19).
According to other information, the first particles of volcanic ash reached Moscow on April 16, 2010. On the night of April 16-17, small particles of ash could be collected on a sheet of paper laid on a windowsill. Microscopic examination of the particles showed fragments of plagioclase crystals and foamed volcanic glass.
As the director general of the Roshydromet weather agency Marina Petrova stated on April 19, Russian experts do not observe volcanic ash over the territory of Russia. Director of the Federal Information and Analytical Center of Roshydromet Valery Kosykh said that the data on ashes above Russia are based on information from the London Center for Tracking Volcanic Ash. “The main problem is that no one in Russia can measure the concentration of this ash,” he said.
Volcanic ash distribution patterns.
The spread of the ash cloud by April 17, 2010 18:00 UTC.
The spread of the ash cloud by April 19, 2010 18:00 UTC.
The spread of the ash cloud by April 21, 2010 18:00 UTC.
The spread of the ash cloud by April 22, 2010 18:00 UTC.
Impact on the environment.
When volcanoes erupt, huge volumes of aerosols and suspended particles are emitted, which are carried by tropospheric and stratospheric winds and absorb part of the solar radiation. As a result of the eruption of the Pinatubo volcano in 1991 in the Philippines, so much ash was thrown to an altitude of 35 km that the average level of solar radiation decreased by 2.5 W / m 2, which corresponds to global cooling by at least 0.5-0.7 ° C, but, in the opinion of Arcadiy Tishkov, the deputy director of the IGRAN for Science, “ what took off in Iceland before it even reached a volume of one cubic kilometer. These emissions are not as large as, for example, those that were recorded as a result of recent eruptions in Kamchatka or in Mexico.". He thinks that " this is an absolutely ordinary event”, Which may affect the weather, but will not cause climate change.
In Iceland, after a 200-year hibernation, the Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano woke up. The eruption began on March 21, 2010 and was so powerful that a state of emergency was introduced in the country and hundreds of residents of nearby settlements were evacuated
Russia 1
In Iceland, after a 200-year hibernation, the Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano woke up. The eruption began on March 21, 2010 and was so powerful that a state of emergency was introduced in the country and hundreds of residents of nearby settlements were evacuated.
On April 14, a new eruption began, accompanied by the release of a huge amount of ash into the atmosphere. The next day, a dozen European countries were forced to completely or partially close their airspace - in particular, flights were canceled at the airports of London, Copenhagen and Oslo.
Eyyafyatlayokudl (Eyjafjallajokull) means "Island of Mountain Glaciers." The volcano is located 200 kilometers east of Reykjavik between the Eyyafyatlayokudl and Mirdalsyokudl glaciers. These are the largest ice caps in the south of the northern island country, covering active volcanoes.
Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano is a conical glacier, the sixth largest in Iceland. The height of the volcano is 1666 meters. The diameter of the crater is 3-4 kilometers, the ice cover is about 100 square kilometers.
Iceland lies on the Mid-Atlantic Range, where volcanic eruptions occur quite often. In this country, almost all types of volcanoes are found on Earth. Ice caps and other glaciers occupy an area of \u200b\u200b11,900 square kilometers.
Since many volcanoes in Iceland are covered with glaciers, they often flood them from below. The tongues of glaciers break from their places, releasing millions of tons of water and ice, which demolish everything in its path.
It is from these fears that, after the awakening of Eyyafyatlayokudl in 2010, such serious security measures were taken in Iceland. In particular, after his March eruption, traffic on nearby roads was stopped and residents were evacuated. Local authorities feared that the volcanic lava would melt the glacier and cause severe flooding.
However, after the studies, experts came to the conclusion that the eruption poses no threat to local residents. A few days later, authorities allowed people to return to their homes.
Volcanologists were able to approach the crater at a distance of several meters and shoot the eruption on the camera, they saw that the crack from which the lava exits has a length of about 500 meters. In addition, filming was conducted from the air. Many have been published on the popular YouTube video portal.
Here is one of these shootings - a spectacle bewitchingly beautiful and awesome at the same time.
Icelandic scientists have long watched the volcano, tracking signs of seismic activity. In their opinion, the eruption could last another about a year or even two. The last eruption of Eyyafyatlayokudlya was recorded in 1821. Then it lasted until 1823 and caused a threatening melting of the glacier. In addition, due to the high content of fluorine compounds (fluorides) in its emissions, a threat to health was created, namely the bone structure of people and livestock.
In the spring of 2010, the whole world watched the strongest eruption of the Icelandic volcano with the unusual and fabulous name Eyyafyatlayokudl. It has become one of the most powerful in the modern history of mankind, scientists are still discussing the consequences of this natural phenomenon.
Iceland
This island state is often called the ice kingdom, it is located between Greenland and Norway in the immediate vicinity of the Arctic Circle. The main part of Iceland is located on a volcanic plateau, so earthquakes and eruptions are common here. Despite its geographical location, the climate in the region is by no means arctic, but moderately cool, with strong winds and high humidity.
Despite the harsh nature, very positive and friendly people live here. Icelandic hospitality is world famous. Thousands of tourists come to these harsh regions every year to get acquainted with the unique nature and, of course, to see the most famous volcano in Iceland - Eyyafyatlayokudl. After 2010, the flow of people who want to witness this miracle of the world with their own eyes has increased markedly.
History reference
Iceland is at the junction of two continental plates, the Eurasian and North American, and is considered the country with the largest number of geothermal sources, lava fields, ice and volcanoes. There are more than a hundred, and twenty-five are active. Tourists have the most popular volcanoes - Laki and Hekla, they have almost a hundred craters and are a unique sight.
But in 2010, the whole world learned about another attraction of Iceland - the Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano. Photos of lava erupting from beneath the glacier circled all the world's news feeds, perhaps this event did not have such popularity in the media, if not for the problems with air travel that arose in most of Europe.
Eyyafyatlayokudl refers to stratovolcanoes, the cone of which is formed by layers of hardened lava and rock that remained there after numerous eruptions. Officially, this is not a volcano, but a glacier, the sixth largest on the island, it is located 125 kilometers from the capital of Iceland, Reykjavik. The peak height is 1666 m, the area of \u200b\u200bthe volcanic crater is 3-4 km, until 2010 it was hidden under a thick layer of ice. The previous eruption of Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano occurred from 1821 to 1823, and for two hundred years it has been considered as sleeping.
Previous circumstances
Almost a year before the main events, the glacier was already showing signs of high activity. In 2009, at a depth of seven kilometers, scientists noticed seismological tremors of 1-2 points. They continued for several months, and even a cortical shift of 3 cm was recorded.
The activity of Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano worried the authorities of the region, they took the necessary measures to relocate local residents, and the nearest airport was closed. People were primarily afraid of flooding, since the glacier could begin to melt under the influence of earth heat.
Scientists have long watched the activity in this area, so the victims were avoided. In total, more than 800 people left the disaster area. After the study, the possibility of flooding was excluded and some residents returned to their homes.
Chronicle of events
On March 20, 2010, in the late evening, the eruption of Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano began. Smoke and ash poured out of the fault that appeared in the glacier; the first emissions were small and did not reach a height of more than one kilometer. Five days later, activity decreased significantly. The reason was that melted water poured into the vent and partially extinguished the focus.
But on March 31 a new crack formed, and for several days lava flowed abundantly from two holes at once. As it turned out, this was only the beginning. On April 13, the Icelandic volcano Eyyafyatlayokudl once again shook from tremors, resulting in a new crack of 2 km, and a column of smoke rose to a height of eight kilometers. On the fifteenth and sixteenth of April this figure was already 15 km, and volcanic ash reached the stratosphere, from where the distribution of substances already occurs over long distances.
Closing of flights in Europe
Icelandic volcano Eyyafyatlayokudl will go down in the history of the XXI century due to the large-scale consequences of its eruption. Due to its activity, air traffic in dozens of countries was suspended. Companies suffered losses, thousands of passengers huddled in airports and in the homes of caring people.
The events in Iceland had a great influence on the revision of certain laws and regulations governing air travel in such situations. Many companies said that the computer program that calculates the risks of flying in the ash distribution zone is doubtful, and they also accused European leaders of intentionally inflating the problem and helplessness in making important decisions.
Effects
In addition to economic damage, the Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano in Iceland caused serious damage to the environment. In the first three days, about 140 million cubic meters of dust were released into the atmosphere. During the eruption, together with particles of terrestrial rocks, ashes, a huge amount of suspended particles or aerosols are thrown into the air. The danger of such a substance is that it quickly spreads over a large distance and has a detrimental effect on the composition of the atmosphere, absorbing part of the solar radiation.
Although geophysicists and meteorologists did not support the general panic that erupted on the pages of some newspapers. According to scientists, the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyyafyatlayokudl was not so powerful that the emissions could somehow lead to climate change, the maximum - to affect the weather. So, a long and thick cloud cover was observed for many thousands of kilometers from the island, even in Russia.
Ash spread
The course of the eruption of Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano was recorded from space, and daily the meteorological services compiled a forecast of the movement of a dust cloud. In mid-April 2010, ashes covered more than half of Europe and some regions of Russia. The Roshydromet Center did not officially confirm the assumption that dust and volcanic matter particles reached the territory of our country. True, eyewitnesses claim that ashes could be easily detected with a sheet of paper laid on a windowsill.
The ejected dust was a fine-grained flying tephra, some of which settled near the vent and on the glacier, but the bulk rose into the air. However, experts assured the public that the gases released into the atmosphere did not pose a serious threat to humans.
Only almost a month after the events began, the media of all countries reported that the Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano had finally stopped its activity. The eruption of 2010 was primarily remembered not for its uniqueness, because such things happen on earth all the time, namely, increased attention to this event in the news and newspapers.
The volcano in Iceland Eyyafyatlayokudl, whose photo seven years ago appeared on the covers of many publications, has a special history. Such a complex name came from the combination of three words at once, denoting a mountain, a glacier and an island. And in fact, the name belongs to the glacier, under which the volcano was located for a long time. In connection with the events of 2010, linguists from different countries became interested in the origin and meaning of the toponym, trying to determine the exact meaning of the word.
After the fuss over the eruption of Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano in the scientific world, they started talking about another possible problem that could lead to far greater consequences. We are talking about Mount Katla, which is located only 12 km from the epicenter of the 2010 underground explosion. Geophysicist studies confirm that every previous activity of Eyyafyatlayokudl preceded the eruption of the much more powerful and destructive Katla volcano. Therefore, scientists have suggested that the events of seven years ago may be the beginning of a more grand catastrophe in the future.
There are many more places in this region where nature can bring surprises. So, a few hundred kilometers is the only active volcano in Norway. Eyyafyatlayokudl and Berenberg (in translation - "Bear Mountain") are similar in structure and in physical data. The northernmost volcano in the world was also considered extinct for a long time, but in 1985 a strong eruption was recorded.
Cultural reflection
Today, the story of seven years ago on the distant island of Iceland has been somewhat forgotten, at the same time this event made a strong impression on many, because not every day on the air you can see how a real volcano erupts. Society reacted differently to the event. Videos appeared on the Internet in which people tried to pronounce an unusual name, and people composed jokes on this subject.
National Geographic made a documentary about the events of the spring of 2010, and some of the feature films are related to an Icelandic volcano, for example, the French film Volcano of Passion and some episodes of American-made Walter Mitti.
Perhaps the sweetest note in the craze for the Icelandic natural phenomenon was made by a native of this country, singer Eliza Geyrsdottir Newman. She composed a fervent song about Eyyafyatlayokudl, helping to learn how to pronounce the exotic name correctly.
In Iceland, after a 200-year hibernation, the Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano woke up. The eruption began on March 21, 2010 and was so powerful that a state of emergency was introduced in the country and hundreds of residents of nearby settlements were evacuated.
On April 14, a new eruption began, accompanied by the release of a huge amount of ash into the atmosphere. The next day, a dozen European countries were forced to completely or partially close their airspace - in particular, flights were canceled at the airports of London, Copenhagen and Oslo.
Eyjafjallajokull means "Island of Mountain Glaciers." The volcano is located 200 kilometers east of Reykjavik between the Eyyafyatlayokudl and Mirdalsyokudl glaciers. These are the largest ice caps in the south of the northern island country, covering active volcanoes.
Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano is a conical glacier, the sixth largest in Iceland. The height of the volcano is 1666 meters. The diameter of the crater is 3-4 kilometers, the ice cover is about 100 square kilometers.
Iceland lies on the Mid-Atlantic Range, where volcanic eruptions occur quite often. In this country, almost all types of volcanoes are found on Earth. Ice caps and other glaciers occupy an area of \u200b\u200b11,900 square kilometers.
Since many volcanoes in Iceland are covered with glaciers, they often flood them from below. The tongues of glaciers break from their places, releasing millions of tons of water and ice, which demolish everything in its path.
It is from these fears that, after the awakening of Eyyafyatlayokudl in 2010, such serious security measures were taken in Iceland. In particular, after his March eruption, traffic on nearby roads was stopped and residents were evacuated. Local authorities feared that the volcanic lava would melt the glacier and cause severe flooding.
However, after the studies, experts came to the conclusion that the eruption poses no threat to local residents. A few days later, authorities allowed people to return to their homes.
Volcanologists were able to approach the crater at a distance of several meters and shoot the eruption on the camera, they saw that the crack from which the lava exits has a length of about 500 meters. In addition, filming was conducted from the air. Many have been published on the popular YouTube video portal.
Icelandic scientists have long watched the volcano, tracking signs of seismic activity. In their opinion, the eruption could last another about a year or even two. The last eruption of Eyyafyatlayokudlya was recorded in 1821. Then it lasted until 1823 and caused a threatening melting of the glacier. In addition, due to the high content of fluorine compounds (fluorides) in its emissions, a threat to health was created, namely the bone structure of people and livestock.
If the current eruption continues for as long, the airspace over Europe will have to be periodically closed and opened, depending on the activity of the volcano, warns Professor Bill McGuire, an expert at the Center for the Study of Natural Disasters at London University College.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.