Thursday, April 22, 2010

Icelandic Volcano Spawning Tremendous Photos

The Eyjafjallajokull volcano (pronounced EY-ya-fyat-lah-YOH-kuht) in Iceland is being photographed in ways that inspire great enthusiasm for natural earth processes. Although many people have been inconvenienced by this eruption, the views of the eruption are spectacular. I include a few here. These photos were posted on the Boston Globe web site and I share them with you in case you missed that link.

Satellite view of the enire island of Iceland with the Eyjafjallajokull volcano sprwading its plume to the south in the lower portion of the view.

A steam blast rises from the crater of the volcano. Steam appears white in these blasts.

The upward movement of the ash cloud creates electrical charges that are expressed as lightning bolts within it. These night time photos allow the bolts to be clearly seen.

More lightning

Looks like the bolts are striking throughout the plume interior

Spectacular photo showing the proximity to some dwellings in Iceland

Close-up view on the upwind side of the blast. Note the dense ash cloud rising from the crater.
A wall of airborne ash approaching a rural Icelandic road

Aerial view of the plume cloud drifting towards Europe

2 comments:

  1. Those eruption photos are fantastic! Amazing stuff. Good to see you giving lots of lectures and book signings...lots of people in this world that could use a dose of geologic reality!! Cheers!

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  2. Wayne,

    thanks for posting these spectacular pictures. It is an fantasitc example of just how alive Earth is. I use Iceland as an premier site with students to explain change and how they need to embrace geologic concepts as being part of their future. My apologies if this is a second post.

    with extreme regard for your wondreful and exciting geologic work
    Joan Mayer, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Rainbow Bridge National Monument.

    Joan Mayer

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