To live close to an Icelandic volcano is on daily basis, just like living in any other place. But I would be lying if I said it didn’t impact me at all.
I live in the outskirts of Reykjanes Peninsula which is geologically a very young part of Iceland. Lava all over the place and not much greenery. At all.
Living in the Middle of a Lava Field close to an Active Volcano
Like you might have heard, there was a volcanic eruption on Reykjanes Peninsula in 2021. In Geldingardalur or Fagradalsfjall to be exact. This eruption made me think for sure. I was able to see it from a hill right next to my house during my walks in my neighborhood. It sure felt a bit unreal but also a bit scary to be honest.
I mean, my neighbourhood, including my house, is built in the middle of an old lava field. So if lava has once flowed over the area around my house, who says it won’t happen again one day? I have to say that being able to see a volcanic eruption so close to my house made me wonder if I had made the right decision by buying a home in this particular neighbourhood!
I’m not saying I’m losing sleep over it but it sure made me think. It was a bit of an unpleasant experience even though I never really felt we were in any danger while the eruption lasted. Which we weren’t by the way. But you know, something like this makes your mind wonder.
Witnessing a Volcanic Eruption is a Spectacular Experience
But even though it can be a bit scary to live on an active volcanic island, it’s also spectacular to witness an eruption in action.
Have you ever witnessed a volcanic eruption? If you have, you know how magnificent it feels. How powerful it is. How small it makes you feel compared to Mother Nature.
The eruption in Fagradalsfjall was as we call it here in Iceland a “túristagos”. Translated loosely, it means “tourist friendly volcanic eruption”. What we mean by that is that the eruption didn’t take place in a dangerous location. It was a small one and fortunately it didn’t cause any danger to people, buildings or other infrastructure.
It also means it was relatively easy for the public to access. That is after a group of good people had marked a trail leading to it (which was about 4km/2.5mi long, each way). Until then it sure wasn’t easy to find and a few people actually got lost while looking for the eruption in the first few days!
A Hike to a Volcanic Eruption
I hiked to the volcano three times while it was active. Each visit was very different. All great but very different. It was fascinating to experience how the activity and the area changed as time passed. Even the hiking trail changed more than once as the lava flowed over the trail in some places.
I hiked to the volcano for the first time about a week after the eruption started. At the time there was a bit of snow in the area and you could very clearly see why Iceland is often called the land of fire and ice. Glowing magma thrown up into the air surrounded by white snow. Pretty spectacular to witness.
Six Active Craters at the same Time!
My second time was about month later and that was my favourite. This time around I arrived in daylight and stayed until after dark. At that time, there were no less than 6 active craters! It was insane. The best part was that you could get so incredibly close to them and the flowing lava. Standing so close to a volcanic eruption feels unreal. Truly magnificent. The baking-ish smell. The sounds of slowly running lava breaking its way through the environment along with the sound of glowing magma being thrown up into the air. Simply like nothing else I’ve ever experienced. And maybe never will.
Volcanic Geyser – is that a Thing?
My last visit was on May 23rd or about two months after it started. Then the original crater was again the only one that was active. But now it acted like a geyser. Nothing came out of it for about 10 minutes and then suddenly it erupted with full power for a short while before it “went back to sleep” for another 10 minutes or so. Truly amazing to watch.
The Small Volcanic Island
The eruption in Fagradalsfjall made me once again think of the people in Vestmannaeyjar (a small island off the south coast of Iceland) who woke up to a volcanic eruption right next to their town in January 1973. At the time about 5,300 people lived on the volcanic island, many of whom lost their homes and all their belongings. Many moved back after the eruption. But there were also many that chose to start a new life on the mainland as about one-fifth of the town was destroyed.
In 2014 a museum called Eldheimar was opened in Vestmannaeyjar. It’s built around one of the many houses that got buried in ashes during the eruption but then got dug up many years later. It’s very interesting, fascinating really to visit this museum and get informed about the whole process. What happened the night the eruption started and in the months after.
The eruption in Vestmannaeyjar is quite unique as it’s the first volcanic eruption that took place in an inhabited area here in Iceland. This one truly had a huge impact on the whole community on this little island.
If you visit Vestmannaeyjar I recommend you go to this museum. It’s in my opinion truly one of the top things to do in Vestmannaeyjar.
You’ll find the museum’s homepage here.
Can we Expect a Big Eruption soon here in Iceland?
There are quite a few active volcanoes in Iceland and one of the big ones has been due for a while now. That is Katla Volcano which hides under Mýrdalsjökull Glacier on the south coast.
In historical times there have been around 20 eruptions in Katla. One in about every 50 years on average. The last eruption was in 1918 so when this is written (2022) Katla is way overdue.
Katla is one of the volcanos that can have a huge impact on people’s lives when it erupts. As it’s located under a glacier, a big eruption means a big volume of ice will melt. Resulting in great floods of water that need to get somewhere.
Depending where exactly a Katla eruption takes place, there are three different ways the water can flow down to sea. All of which cross the Ring Road. If the floods are big it means the Ring Road needs to be closed as the water flows over it and even damages it. As the Ring Road is the only road that connects east and west in this part of the country, it obviously has a great impact on those who live in the area.
Lava is a Big Part of Daily Life in Iceland
As mentioned before, lava is a part of the day to day environment I live in. Lava is what I see when I look out my bedroom window and lava is what often plays the main role in the environment I hike in. One of my favourite hikes close to my home has a volcanic theme. That trail leads you to an old volcanic crater. It’s an easy hike with little elevation change. Despite that, it gives you surprisingly good views over the surrounding area and the crater itself is also very colourful and beautiful. I recommend you check it out.
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Until next time!
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