Raving Ravens

Alert for Seismic Activity in Hekla Volcano

The police in Hvolsvöllur has issued an alert advicing hikers and travellers to stay off Hekla volcano because of unusual seismic activity. That does not have to mean a volcanic eruption, but it increases the changes of it. 

Volcanic eruptions in Hekla volcano are common and usually "tourist friendly" meaning they do not pose any danger to flights, travellers nor homes near the mountain. 

Here is the alert from the police:

The National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police (NCIP) and the Police commissioner at Hvolfsvöllur declare an uncertainty phace (lowest level of warning), because of seismic activity in mount Hekla.

The Icelandic Met Office has informed the Civil Protection and Emergency Management of NCIP about unusual seismic activity in mount Hekla. The Icelandic Met Office has raised the ICAO aviation color code to yellow concerning air traffic, which means that mount Hekla is showing an unusual activity.

Uncertainty phace means that supervision has been raised on that course of events that may threaten public health and safety, or that environment or inhabited area may be threatened. To declare an uncertainty phace is a part of work process in the setup of public safety to secure a formal communication between response teams and to secure dissemination of information.

In light of all of this the National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police and the Police commissioner at Hvolfsvöllur would warn people from hiking on mount Hekla while this uncertainty phace is in force.

 

Hjörtur

The 1973 Westman Island's Eruption - Part 1: Miraculous Evacuation

The new volcano appeared out of nowhere just outside of town in the Westman Islands.

Last weekend we were in the Westman Islands celebrating Inga's uncle's 70th birthday. Her dad and his family are from the Westman Islands. This weekend is also the annual celebration of the end of the eruption that buried half the town of the Westman Islands in 1973.  A new volcano erupted just few hundred meters out of town making the island completely uninhabitable during the 6 months of the eruption and destroying about 400 houses in the town of 5.000 inhabitants. Inga's dad's home was one of those destroyed but he himself was abroad studying when it happened. The picture above is taken outside the home of the uncle at the beginning of the eruption. That house does no longer exist.

 

There was an interview in the local newspaper in the town with Gerdur, a woman who was living closest to the eruption where she describes that night and what was to follow.

The start of the eruption

    "As a housewife in a big home there I always had my hands full with the three boys Agnar, Sigurd Óli and Bjarki. That night was no exception but the eruption didn't come without a warning. "That night I was doing laundry when I heard noises in the living room and the hall. Everything was shaking. I looked out and thought it was a car but there was nothing to see. Then another shock came beneath the whole house which was no wonder considering what was about to follow. Our house was only about 4-500 meters away from the place where the ground opened up. Yes, it was incredibly close.

            All of a sudden a wall of fire rose into the air just east of our house and while it certainly was a spectacular sight it was terrifying at the same time. We stood as paralysed when our son Sigurdur Oli looks out and asks "Is it New Years Eve again?" My husband Gudni and I stood by the window and saw the Earth opening up. You could say it was a privilige to witness the start of the eruption which was truly aterrific sight but a horrible one at the same time."

    No Panic

    Gudni told Gerdur to dress the boys who put their winter jackets on over their pyjamas. I put a coat over my nightgawn and there was nothing to do but to evacuate the house. However Gudni just sat down very calm and stoic and picked up the phone to call the neighbours. No panic there.

    "Meanwhile I stood with the two older boys grasping on to me on each side and holding the youngest one in my arms. I start getting stressed and scared and ask him if he isn't coming out with us. - "I'm just calling people to let them know" he replies. Gudni's brother Einar came to the house in his red old Volvo to pick us up. We wen't down to the harbour but Gudni didn't come with us. He was walking door to door to wake everybody up.

Heimagata 12b, one of the homes that got crushed under the lava. This is the only remaining part - the living room window.

    Sailing to safety

    "We were 13 in the first officers cabin. Me and my friend Frida were there with all our kids and Frida's husband Raggi was handing out plastic bags for people to throw up in. Many islanders returned their last meal in the Westman Islands to the sea on the way to land. The boat was packed with people. On shore buses were waiting for us and alot of people were already on board. Gudni got us on one of the buses heading to the seamans school in Reykjavik [where they were sheltered] but didn't get on board with us.  "Where are you heading" I asked him. "I'm going back. There's more people that need rescue."  I didn't see him for weeks after that.

As it had been a storm the previous day, the whole fleet was in harbour at the night of the eruption and all of the 5.000 inhabitants could be safely shipped a shore to the mainland.

Gerdur's husband Gudni was for the following weeks trying to rescue valuables from the houses before they caught fire or disappeared under the lava flow. He managed to get into their house and get the fridge and the beds out of the house. He only got one chance to enter the house before it went under 15 meter thick ash already on the third day of the eruption. They never saw the house again - until one day in 2007, 34 years later. The story of that will be in part 2, posted later this week. 

Hjörtur

 

The story is retold and translated from an interview that appeared in the local Westman Island paper "Fréttir", July 5th 2012.

Icelandic Volcanoes Explained in a Simple Way!

Have you been wondering how it is with the Icelandic volcanoes? If one can trigger another one? Which one is likely to erupt and which one isn't? And most importantly - how to pronounce them!?! The volcanoes Eyjafjallajökull, Katla, Hekla and Laki all play a part in this graphic, educational volcano video ;)

 

The video was shot by @lilashrink at a tweetup in Harpa, Reykjavik.

Hjörtur

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What a Volcano Looks Like on the Inside - Þríhnúkagígur

Have you ever wondered what a volcano looks like on the inside? We've seen some suggestions from Jules Vernes story "The Journey to the Center of the Earth" - but few people have actually gone down into a volcano and seen with their own eyes what it looks like. 

The reason why so few have done is that the crater usually closes after an eruption with hard cold lava. Þríhnúkagígur in Iceland is an exception though. Recently two Icelandic explorers and experienced mountain climbers, Björn and Einar, went down into the crater, rappelling some hundreds of feets into the magma chamber of the volcano. National Geographic went with them to record this amazing phenomenon. 

 

Following their mapping of the cave a group of volcano scientist "dived" in:

 

The reason the scientists are going down there is to get a better understanding of volcanoes and how they work. Why is the chamber empty? What can it tell them that helps them predict the next move of Eyjafjallajokull volcano, or it's big sister, Katla. Here the team is heading towards the Eyjafjallajokull crater - a very risky route over ash covered ice bridges on the glacier:

 

Unfortunately, National Geographic hasn't published more of the program, so I guess we'll just have to see the rest on TV.

Hjörtur

ps. you can follow Raving Ravens on Facebook too!

The Birth and Death of a Volcanic Eruption - Grimsvotn Volcano 2011

It was a short one, but a powerful one! It started when the end of the world was supposed to start, May 21st at 6pm. Just over an hour later it broke the icecap covering it and it was a blast! And it was recorded!

Her are amazing images by mountain guide Ingolfur Bruun, of the initial explosion of the Grimsvotn volcano:

Not only was the birth recorded, ut also the death of the eruption. Well equipped with a camera and a superjeep, photographer Karl Olafsson drove up onto the glacier and all the way to the edge of the crater to see the last breath of a dying volcano:

 

Though it was short, it managed to produce the same amount of ash in 36 hours as Eyjafjallajokull, the volcano that erupted last year, did in 40 days. And it managed to ground airpolanes, at least for a few hours in Scotland, Denmark, Norway and Germany. Not only that, it managed to set up a Facebook page, a twitter account and get over a thousand followers and quotes in the media. 

It's obviously a pretty tech savvy volcano ;)

Move along now, there's nothing more to see here ...

Hjörtur

 

Grimsvotn Volcano Webcam and Videos

Grimsvotn Webcams is something many have been asking for. Mila, an icelandic telecommunication company had very popular webcams set up last year for Eyjafjallajokull. They have also set up webcams for Grímsvötn but due to the heavy ash fall, it has been difficult to get both signal and images from them. 

You can take a look at the webcam from Grímsvötn here and from Jökulsárlón here.

 

Here are also some magnificent videos from the eruption:

 

This video was shot only about a kilometer away from the crater by Þór E. Bachmann. He and a few of his friends went on superjeeps up on the Vatnajokull glacier. In this distance they could not exit the cars because of the ash and small rocks falling.

You can see more videos of the eruption and the ashfall here on mbl.is.

Hjörtur

The First 24 hrs of the 2011 Grimsvotn Volcano Eruption in Pictures

It's been 24 hrs since the eruption in Grimsvötn Volcano in Vatnajökull glacier started. It's not as picturesque as the previous eruptions last year, but here are some of the pictures that have been caught from the eruption and the ash fall south of the glacier.

Norðurflug, the helicopter service that flew both tourists and camera crews to Eyjafjallajokull Volcano last year, flew a camera crew on to the glacier earlier today which got some incredible footage! Image by Anton Brink/visir.is.

The Norðurflug helicopter flying just above the Vatnajokull ice cap, and the black ash cloud from Grimsvotn volcano that is hovering over the helicopter. Image Anton Brink/visir.is

Fantastic image showing the plume rising up from the Vatnajökull glacier and the ash spreading fast in the strong wind in the area. Image from visir.is. 
 
A thick layer of volcanic ash is laying like a carpet over everything below the glacier, like we see on this Nissan Sunny (or mayby Not-So-Sunny) in Kirkjubæjarklaustur. There's no sign of it in Reykjavik though. Image Egill Adalsteinsson.

ICE-SAR members have been distributing masks for the 1.000 people that live in the area worst hit. Image Eggert Jóhannessson/mbl.is.

The bright summer nights are not so bright. The darkness of the ash fall was so black when it was worst that people could barely see their own feet even though they searched for them with a flash light! Image from dv.is.

Live is really hard for birds and livestock now. The lambs are just being born and not all survived the night. Farmers are trying to get their sheep, horses and other live stock back to the houses. Image dv.is. 

No matter how well you try to close doors and windows, the ash gets through everything. Image visir.is. 

You can follow me on twitter for regular updates on the development of the eruption.

Hjörtur

 

How Will Grimsvotn Volcano Affect Air Traffic?

Grimsvotn Volcano started erupting at 6pm GMT today, Saturday May 21st. Grimsvotn Volcano is one of Iceland's most active volcanoes erupting last in 2004, 1998 and 1996 before that. It is located in Europe's largest glacier, Vatnajokull glacier. 

The first image of the 2011 eruption, photo by Halldora K. Unnarsdottir, Hotel Nupur.

The difference between Grimsvotn and Eyjafjallajokull volcanoes:
This looks like a much "better" eruption than the one in Eyjafjallajokull last year, with the most obvious reason being that most people can at least pronounce the name of this one ;) Though Grimsvotn volcano is located under a glacier like Eyjafjallajokull, the effect from the ash plume is very different. The type of magma is different so the ash is not nearly as fine grained as the one from Eyjafjallajokull. It is therefore very unlikely to spread far, and there is no risk that it will spread over Europe like the ash cloud from Eyjafjallajokull did. There is therefore no reason to worry about your flights being cancelled in the coming weeks.

It does have some effect on flights though, as the area in 120 nm radius from the volcano has been banned for air traffic. Some flights might have to move their route slightly to the North or South but none be grounded. This area might become bigger but the only international airport it could affect is Keflavik airport in Iceland. As the volcano is in Iceland, it can never close down all international airports at the same time so no international flights should be cancelled because of this eruption. 

How powerful is the Grimsvotn eruption?
The size of the eruption is still unknown. It starts much more powerful than the 2004 eruption but in 1996 there was a very powerful eruption in Grimsvotn, causing flooding on the sands below Vatnajokull. The flooding now is expected to much less than in 1996 as there was some flooding last fall causing the amount of water already collected at the Grimsvotn volcano being much less than back in 1996. 

As the Grimsvotn volcano is a part of the same system as Lakagigar, where one of the largest eruptions in historic times took place in 1783, the development will be followed closely, but nothing indicates this will be a dangerous eruption so far. 

The first video of the 2011 eruption in Grimsvotn Volcano:

 

I'll bring you regular updates on the eruption here, but for more frequent updates, follow me on twitter.

UPDATE - May 22nd, 17:57 GMT

The airspace over Iceland has now been closed down. If the eruption continues as powerful as it is, it might have some effect on air traffic in Northern Europe on Tuesday. If you have any questions regarding the eruption, you can ask in the comments below or on twitter @hjortur.

Hjörtur

The Eyjafjallajokull Eruption - One Year Later

Hey, what are you looking at? Photo by Nunni Konn.

Eyjafjallajokull volcano started erupting exactly one year ago today. It's probably one of the most memorable eruptions in Europe, as millions of people were stranded as the ash cloud from the powerful volcano moved over most of Europe grounding flights. Peaceful days in the air but maybe not so on the ground. 

The eruption has stopped, and it looks like it's permanent. We never know though ... You can read about the predictions about the next eruption in "Volcanic Activity in Iceland - The Next Eruption?" To "celebrate" the anniversary of the 2010 Eyjafjallajokull eruption I have collected a few amazing photos from the eruption:

The northern lights above Eyjafjallajökull, by Sphyror.

 

Heading to the burning glacier. Photo by Frederik Holm.

 

That's one hot glacier! Photo by Halldor Kr. Jonsson.

 

The ash rising to the sky. Photo by Nunni Konn.

... and taking the "flight" to Europe ... Photo by Gunnlaugur Þ. Briem.

Amazing lightning storms were seen in the ash cloud the first days of the eruption. This stunning photo is by Sigurdur Hrafn Stefnisson.

 

You know, when they in the medieval ages described the eruptions as raining fire and sulfur with the days as black as if it was the middle of night, they actually weren't exaggerating. Photo by Sverrir Þór. 

 

The fire! Photo by Nunni Konn

The eruption heated up with an eruption in Fimmvorduhals, the perfect "tourist eruption" with popular sight seeing flights. This photo is by Steinar Hugi.

 

It was possible to fly pretty close to the eruption! Photo by Gitzo. 

 

It was a spectacular eruption with the tallest lava falls seen in modern history, over 200 meters high. And it was "easily accessible" from across the valley. Well, for the Icelandic modified super-jeeps at least ;) Photo by Vignir Már. 

 

Two girls having a "Dante's Peak" moment in their parents car, all covered with volcanic ash. Photo by Ingolfur Juliusson.

 

Live continues despite the ash fall. Here the milkman is arriving at Thorvaldseyri farm, just below the volcano. Photo by Eythor Arnason. 

 

Nature was not willing to give up to the thick layers of ash. Lupines fighting their way through the black ash. Photo by Hulda Mjöll.

The thick cloth of ash was depressing for those living under the volcano. It turned out to be not as bad in the long run as people had feared and around the country crops were extra good due to the good fertilizing effect from the ash. As the photographer describes it on Flickr: "Above you see the reward for my troubles. I cleaned the backyard three times, first I removed most of the wet ash and a week later I cleaned the dried up crust. Finally I cleaned up the fine ash and today, June 9th, I mowed the yard, almost choking the lawnmower with the fine dust that billowed up." Photo by Leifi Eggertsson.

 

And just in case you're getting rusty in how to pronounce Eyjafjallajökull:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

 (None of them got it right, by the way, but Roker was close. Real close.)

 

 

Hjörtur

ps. make sure you like RavingRavens on Facebook for updates.

Iceland Complete, or how to travel on a tour bus around Iceland as an anti-tourist

This is a guest post written by Jonathan Gagnon, a Canadian and Icelandophile, about his travels in Iceland.

Many people come across traveling almost by coincidence. Not me. I had barely started school that I was deeply passionate about the world. I spent my childhood reading every book possible on so many countries that I hoped to visit some day. Then came the Internet.

I fell in love with Iceland at a time where the web was showing its endless possibilities. Almost without realising it, the few minutes I spent each day reading Icelandic newspapers or watching Icelandic television had given me a rather good grasp of the language. But I had to wait until I took German classes to finally understand the grammar!

Years passed. I lived in Berlin and Dresden, visited Denmark, Prague, a bit of France, spent some time in London... But I wasn't even thinking of going to Iceland, a destination unaffordable for budget travelers.
Fast forward to March 10th 2010. I am in Toronto for a job interview. As I take a seat on the subway, I notice an advert from Icelandair. I didn't get the job but I got my trip to Iceland. I landed in Keflavik, from Boston, at 6:20 on May 12th 2010.

On a road trip in Iceland - the view from the bus. By Jonathan Gagnon.

For someone who prefers to travel independently, and whose mindset can be best summarised as « act like a local », my trip to Iceland was a sort of anti-climax: I booked the « Iceland Complete » package from Icelandair Holidays. Yet, it offered exactly what I wanted: tour the island.

We were a great group of 22, led by tour guide Helga Hansen. Seven days around the country, and six nights in Vik, Höfn, Egillstadir, Myvatn, Akureyri and Borgarnes. I didn't have enough eyes to see everything, I quickly lost control of my camera and left Iceland with 1800 photos!

Þorvaldseyri, below Eyjafjallajokull volcano during the eruption. By Jonathan Gagnon.

Driving through the ash cloud was definitely an unforgettable experience. But volcano or not, my trip was paid off after just one day: Geysir, Strokkur, Gullfoss, Hellisheiði geothermal station, Setjlalandsfoss, Skogafoss... there was no doubt we were in Iceland.

Speaking of ice, Vatnajökull dominated the second day. The « cruise » at Jökulsarlon was spectacular.The cloudy sky made Myrdalssandur even more intriguing. Later that evening, as I took a walk under the rain in Höfn, I saw a dark blue sky I had never seen elsewhere.

The weather got literally mad between Höfn and Egillstadir. From the bus, I could see high waves hitting on the coast. In Stödvarfjördur, Petra's Stone Museum was an excellent way to discover what the wonderful landscapes of Austurland have to offer.

For those in the Myvatn area, you can swim in the Nature Baths for half the price and with a smaller crowd than the Blue Lagoon. And afterwards, why not dropping by Dimmuborgir to say hi to the trolls living there. I should also mention my respect for people living in Modrudalur, as I wouldn't stand such isolation.

Before Akureyri, we stopped by the wonderful Godafoss before going back in time with traditional Icelandic life in Laufas. I really liked walking around Akureyri, but my main highlight there was my dinner: whale.

The surreal geothermal area of Namaskard in Northern Iceland. By Jonathan Gagnon.

My main memory of the road to Borgarnes was to have forgotten to use the toilet after lunch at
Stadarskali... But joking aside, the colour of Barnafoss itself was a reason to stop. Oh and the fresh tomatoes that were sold in a cart near a thermal source. Earlier in the day, we had a very nice Icelandic horse show in Saudarkrokur – the owners didn't speak much English, a great cultural exchange... and the woman told me she didn't remember anyone coming with a tour group that understood Icelandic.

I don't really have any complaint on the weather but I'd have loved sun when we walked throughThingvellir, a place I hold in high respect due to my great interest in the history of Iceland. Thankfully,it was clearer when we drove through the Nesjavellir area and were then dropped at our hotel after alook at the capital from Perlan.

I spent my final two and a half days exploring Reykjavik as much as I could, both by foot and by bus. Prior to my depature from Canada, I had requested a tour of the Althing, so now I can add it to the parliaments I have visited. As for the « more normal » tourist attractions I saw, I covered what's included with the Reykjavik Welcome Card: National Museum, Maritime Museum, National Culture House, Zoo, City Museum and the Settlement Exhibition. Video will have to wait...

I have absolutely loved the food served in restaurants and I have tried many new things in Iceland,such as whale and puffin. Months later, I am still speechless when I think that we were served fresh homemade soups in gas stations at lunch.

 

 

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I came to Iceland conquered in advance and was not disappointed one second. And even if I traveled with a tour group, I was able to go local by speaking as much Icelandic as I could and by buying a couple of snack things at the local grocery.

At 125 ISK for one Canadian dollar, I concluded the same about prices in Icelandic supermarkets than I did in Denmark: Similar than in Canada. The same goes for alcohol by comparing ATVR prices to SAQ...
Now, having already seen « most » of the country, I'm not in a hurry to go back but I will. Snaefellnes,West Fjords and Vestmannaeyjar are missing. And why not the north-east: Husavik, Raufarnahöfn,Langanes?

Then, I'll be able to buy the famous « Iceland – Been There Done That » t-shirt...not before!

 

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Jonathan Gagnon