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May 9, 2021
by Jeremie Richard
The Icelandic volcano Fagradalshraun lies still for a while before it suddenly spits red molten lava geysers high into the air, which can be seen in an impressive display from the capital Reykjavik.
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The volcano, which came to life in the Wallachadalir Valley near Mount Fagradalsfjall in mid-March, has attracted visitors from around the world, many of whom venture as close as possible to the safety area that protects against glowing rock spray was set up.
« It’s unbelievable to see, » said Henrike Wappler, a German woman who lives in Iceland and stands with her daughter on the edge of the volcano.
She was amazed at « the power of Earth « and told AFP on their fourth visit to the construction site on Saturday: » I feel so close to this power – but I am not afraid. «
Until a week ago volcanic activity was continuous and restrained, but now it is changing between quiet spells and angry outbursts.
A geyser was measured at more than 460 meters at dawn last Wednesday, according to the national weather bureau.
The powerful eruptions throw up boulders called tephra, some of which are still hey and that land several hundred meters from the crater, which is in an uninhabited area on the Reykjanes peninsula in southwest Iceland.
A faint roar precedes the next explosion, a sound that somehow reminds me of an airplane remembers « , said Freyja Wappler-Fridriksdottir.
She was among more than 2,500 people on site on Saturday and stayed about 500 meters from the crater – a safety radius that varies between 400 and 650 meters depending on the wind speed.
« It is not every day that we can see such a close volcano. It’s just amazing and beautiful, « she said.
» The magma flows all the time, « Gudmundsson told AFP. » This is not unusual and this is normal behavior. It is rare to have a very continuous flow with no pulsations. «
The eruption, which began on March 19, is the first on the Reykjanes Peninsula in more than eight centuries, since the last activity at this very location Almost 6,000 years have passed.
Several new openings have opened since the original eruption in Wallachadalir Valley.
However, they are certain that the eruption is far from superficial and of The Earth’s crust is running out.
« This is the most primitive lava we’ve seen since the last Ice Age, » said Edward Marshall of the Institute of Geosciences about 10,000 years ago.
© 2021 AFP
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Ref: https://phys.org
