Icelandic eye candy, raw video

[Warpy]

This eruption has been the most energetic yet, intially a staggering 2000m3/sec, now down to the 50--70 range with most of the fissure closed. The early part was explosive, the weather has been wretched and there was plenty of ground water. This starts slow but builds quickly.

The power supply plus the north and west roads out of Grindavik have been cut by lava. Anyone foolish enough to have hidden in town will need to be rescued by sea if the heavy gas pollution hasn't gotten him/them first.

Moral: if volcanologists tell you to get out of Dodge, get out of Dodge.

[tornado34jh]

1. There is a reason Iceland is called the Land of Fire and Ice

It sits right between two tectonic plates moving away from each other. At Thingvellir (or Þingvellir in Icelandic) National Park, it's one of the very few places you can actually stand on/between two tectonic plates. Of course, it's also a volcanically active country, so eruptions are not unheard of (look up the 1973 eruption on the island of Heimaey for a good example).

[AllaN01Bear]

2. burble te burble . no BURP eruption.

[AZ8theist]

3. Oddly satisfying to watch....

Any volcanologists here?
Why is the smoke brown in color?

[Warpy]

4. The gray and brown stuff is pulverized rock

Last edited Sat Jun 1, 2024, 03:53 PM - Edit history (2)

The darker stuff with white here and there is a combination of magma and ground water flashed to steam. The brown stuff is more a combination of high velocity gas and steam smashing through anything in its way.

Today it has settled down in the usual lava fountain at one big vent, a few little vents issuing splats now and then.

Not a volcanologist. If one turns up, I'll let him/her use big words like "phreatomagmatic." But this is basically what's going on. The pops and occasional booms are satisfying, too.

[Wonder Why]

5. Son of Pompeii! See it in a theater near you.