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Fagradalsfjall | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Elevation | Mountain: 385 m (1,263 ft) |
Coordinates | 63°53′19″N 22°16′10″W / 63.8885°N 22.2695°W / 63.8885; -22.2695 |
Geography | |
FagradalsfjallIceland | |
Geology | |
Mountain type | Fissure vent |
Volcanic arc | Krýsuvík (volcanic system) |
Last eruption | March 2021 (ongoing) |
Fagradalsfjall (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈfaɣratalsˌfjatl̥]) is a shield volcano and tuya with multiple prominences located on the Reykjanes Peninsula, around 40 kilometres (25 mi) from Reykjavík. A volcanic eruption began on 19 March 2021 in Geldingadalir to the south of Fagradalsfjall, which is still ongoing.
The name is a compound of the Icelandic words fagur ("beautiful"), dalur ("valley") and fjall ("mountain").
Tectonic setting
Fagradalsfjall is a vent of the Krýsuvík-Trölladyngja volcanic system in the Southern Peninsula. It is situated within a zone of active rifting in a divergent boundary between the Eurasian and North American plates.
2020–21 activity at Geldingadalir
Beginning December 2019 and into March 2021, a swarm of earthquakes, two of which reached a magnitude of 5.6, rocked the Reykjanes Peninsula, sparking concerns that an eruption was imminent. The earthquakes were thought to have been triggered by dyke intrusions and magma moving under the peninsula. Minor damage to homes were reported by the 5.6 earthquake on February 4. In the past three weeks, more than 40,000 tremors have been recorded by seismographs.
Eruption south of Fagradalsfjall
On March 19 2021, an effusive eruption started just before 9:30 pm local time in Geldingadalir to the south of Fagradalsfjall, the first known eruption on the peninsula in about 800 years. Fagradalsfjall has been dormant for 6,000 years. The eruptive activity was first announced by the Icelandic Meteorological Office at 9:40 pm. Reports stated a 600–700-metre-long (2,000–2,300 ft) fissure vent began ejecting lava, which covered an area of less than 1 square kilometre (0.39 sq mi). As of the following day, the lava flows posed no threat to residents, as the area is mostly uninhabited, although there is potential for sulfur dioxide pollution. The new eruption vent has been named Geldingardalsgos.
Accident
On May 3, 1943, LTG Frank Maxwell Andrews, a US Army senior officer and founder of the United States Army Air Forces, along with fourteen others were killed when their B-24 aircraft Hot Stuff crashed into the side of the volcano.
See also
References
- "Fagradalsfjall volcano". Volcano Discovery. Volcano Discovery. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- "Krýsuvík-Trölladyngja". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- Guardian staff and agencies (March 20, 2021). "Iceland volcano: eruption under way in Fagradalsfjall near Reykjavik". The Guardian. The Guardian. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- ^ ""Small" volcanic eruption in Iceland lights up night sky near Reykjavik". France 24. March 20, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- ^ "Upptök gossins eru í Geldingadal". www.mbl.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved March 21, 2021.
- "Krýsuvík-Trölladyngja". icelandicvolcanos.is. Catalogue of Icelandic Volcanoes. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- Peltier, Elian (March 4, 2021). "In Iceland, 18,000 Earthquakes Over Days Signal Possible Eruption on the Horizon". The New York Times. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- "M 5.6 - 11 km SW of Álftanes, Iceland". USGS-ANSS. USGS. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- "M 5.6 - 6 km SE of Vogar, Iceland". USGS-ANSS. USGS. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- Hafstað, Vala (March 18, 2021). "Earthquakes on Reykjanes Peninsula Explained". iceland monitor. iceland monitor. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- Frímann, Jón (February 24, 2021). "Earthquake with magnitude Mw5,7 in Reykjanes volcano (update at 12:28 UTC)". Iceland Geology. Iceland Geology. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- "Volcano erupts near Iceland's capital Reykjavik". BBC. BBC. March 20, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- "Long Dormant Volcano Comes to Life in Southwestern Iceland". US News. Associated Press. March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- Hafstað, Vala (March 20, 2021). "'Best Possible Location' for Eruption". iceland monitor. iceland monitor. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- Fontaine, Andie Sophia (March 19, 2021). "Eruption At Fagradalsfjall". Reykjavik Grapevine. Reykjavik Grapevine. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- Elliott, Alexander (March 19, 2021). "Volcanic eruption: what we know so far". RÚV. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3BD8vqYTho Youtube video "RVK Newscast #86: We Visited The Volcano In Iceland & It Blew Our Mind"[
- "MT FAGRADALSFJALL". Visit Reykjanes. Visit Reykjanes. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- Yenne, Bill (2015). Hit the Target: Eight Men who Led The Eighth Air Force to Victory Over the Luftwaffe. Penguin Group. p. 184. ISBN 9780698155015.
External links
- A volcanic eruption has begun — Icelandic Met Office
- Video by Icelandic Meteorological Office taken a few hours after the eruption started
- Live video of the March 2021 eruption