21 March 2010 @ 10:17 pm
Eyjafjallajökull volcano  
I''m late linking to this one, but around midnight UTC last night a volcano near the Eyjafjallajökull glacier began erupting and continues to do so, though fortunately it has turned out the volcano is not actually underneath the glacier, which means there's no danger of a jökulhlaup, and it may even have reduced the pressure beneath the glacier. More of a concern is that the past three times there's been an eruption near Eyjafjallajökull, the more dangerous Katla has erupted soon after.

Everyone in the area was safely evacuated. The volcanology students are having fun.

Eyjafjallajökull is not far from the Fljótsdalur valley, which includes Hlíðarendi, as well as the lovely Fljotsdalur hostel we stayed at there--from which we could see the glacier. (The eruption, as I understand it, is a bit east of there, on the other side of the ridge.)
 
 
( 4 comments — Leave a comment )
Coraacoraa on March 22nd, 2010 05:26 am (UTC)
While it seems exceptionally trivial to say—and of course I will say first that I'm glad that they've safely evacuated everyone—I have to note that I am very glad to learn the word jökulhlaup!
Janni Lee Simner: Iceland/Surtseyjanni on March 22nd, 2010 05:28 am (UTC)
And I just re-looked it up and learned it also means "debacle," heh.
Steven desJardinsstevendj on March 23rd, 2010 01:19 pm (UTC)
Sentences you may not want to hear: "The volcanology students are having fun."
Janni Lee Simner: Iceland/Surtseyjanni on March 27th, 2010 12:43 am (UTC)
Unless you are one, I suppose, professional or otherwise. :-)
( 4 comments — Leave a comment )