Eruption has happened again on Icelandic peninsula
May 29, 2024 12:55 PM Subscribe
As reported previously on the Blue, the the Reykjanes peninsula had an eruption in the proximity of the town of Grindavík several months back, however the emergence had settled down after about a week of activity...until a new emergence opened up in the Sundhnuk crater. (SLYT live feed)
Well I clicked on the youtube live feed link expecting it to be boring but at that moment it was zoomed way in on a bunch of magma sloshing around.
Now it's just showing some rocks with birds, which I guess cool, I think those must be the birds that some icelandic guy said live in cliffs and he had to climb up to catch them when he was a kid and they taste terrible. But it's no boiling magama.
yyz's link OTOH has a feed with the camera just tight zoomed in on the real volcanic action. Nice!
posted by aubilenon at 1:27 PM on May 29
Now it's just showing some rocks with birds, which I guess cool, I think those must be the birds that some icelandic guy said live in cliffs and he had to climb up to catch them when he was a kid and they taste terrible. But it's no boiling magama.
yyz's link OTOH has a feed with the camera just tight zoomed in on the real volcanic action. Nice!
posted by aubilenon at 1:27 PM on May 29
Icelandic state broadcaster RÚV has a range of good livestreams. Following RÚV English is a good bet for up-to-date, accurate information.
This eruption looked a bit scary at first, as it was the biggest so far and there was quite a bit more ash, due to magma encountering ground water, causing explosions, but it seems to be settling down now.
These eruptions could keep going for years, but this might just as well be the last one. Part of what has made it impossible for so many people in the area to think of continuing to live there is the uncertainty. Geologists can follow along as magma flows into underground chambers, until the pressure becomes so great that it breaks through the crust, but making predictions beyond that is still far outside what is possible to know.
posted by Kattullus at 1:35 PM on May 29 [4 favorites]
This eruption looked a bit scary at first, as it was the biggest so far and there was quite a bit more ash, due to magma encountering ground water, causing explosions, but it seems to be settling down now.
These eruptions could keep going for years, but this might just as well be the last one. Part of what has made it impossible for so many people in the area to think of continuing to live there is the uncertainty. Geologists can follow along as magma flows into underground chambers, until the pressure becomes so great that it breaks through the crust, but making predictions beyond that is still far outside what is possible to know.
posted by Kattullus at 1:35 PM on May 29 [4 favorites]
Last summer, almost a year ago *, I was lucky enough to have traveled through Iceland for two weeks. I hiked the very area that is now under lava the day of my arrival. The next day I struggled to get the silica of the blue lagoon out of my hair **. It is surreal to be witnessing these events now. I marvel at the terrifying grandeur of Mother Earth.
My thoughts are with those of the re-evacuated towns. I wish them safety and a swift return to normalcy.
* I timed the trip so that I was standing as far north as I could manage to get (but sadly not as far north as is possible in the country) at the minute when the solstice hit, Jun 21, 2023, 2:57 PM local time.
** The video of the eruption currently playing on Weather.com includes a clip with a sudden evacuation of the blue lagoon, with sirens sounding in the background.
posted by mystyk at 2:32 PM on May 29 [3 favorites]
My thoughts are with those of the re-evacuated towns. I wish them safety and a swift return to normalcy.
* I timed the trip so that I was standing as far north as I could manage to get (but sadly not as far north as is possible in the country) at the minute when the solstice hit, Jun 21, 2023, 2:57 PM local time.
** The video of the eruption currently playing on Weather.com includes a clip with a sudden evacuation of the blue lagoon, with sirens sounding in the background.
posted by mystyk at 2:32 PM on May 29 [3 favorites]
If aliens only source of information was videos on Weather.com, they'd never invade Earth because of the non-stop natural disasters.
posted by fairmettle at 6:48 PM on May 29 [3 favorites]
posted by fairmettle at 6:48 PM on May 29 [3 favorites]
Just two days ago my wife and I were driving around the peninsula. We were able to get as far as the Brimketill lava rock pool, about 12 km from Grindavik, before the road was closed. I wonder how much I would have seen if the volcano had erupted then.
Just as well, I suppose, the rental car was not covered for lava damage.
posted by otters walk among us at 7:18 PM on May 29 [2 favorites]
Just as well, I suppose, the rental car was not covered for lava damage.
posted by otters walk among us at 7:18 PM on May 29 [2 favorites]
I didn't have my glasses on and first read the headline as "Eurovision has happened again on Icelandic peninsula", and I thought it seemed like a weird move, but I was okay with it.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 2:46 AM on May 30
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 2:46 AM on May 30
I love watching the live feeds, they're kind of relaxing and hypnotic
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 10:45 AM on May 30
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 10:45 AM on May 30
Just as well, I suppose, the rental car was not covered for lava damage.
It seems that road closures due to lava are a problem there.
posted by NoxAeternum at 6:25 PM on June 9
It seems that road closures due to lava are a problem there.
posted by NoxAeternum at 6:25 PM on June 9
« Older SH-to-the-R-to-the-I-M-P. You can't phase me, I'm... | Topic 30: talk, anything, work, need, let, better... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by yyz at 1:24 PM on May 29 [7 favorites]