Icelandic Volcano Erupts!

Update August 18 - There is a nice video with a local geologist giving an explanation here.

Update June 1, 2021 - A video of the wall collapse can be viewed here.

And a video of a drone that got too close to the volcano can be viewed here: 

To watch a Live Feed from a camera set up across from the eruptive center, click here. This is really spectacular.

Watch a video taken from a drone flying over the volcano here.

Hey geology enthusiasts! Scientists in Iceland now have established a camera with a Live Feed on the Thanks to my colleague and volcanologist Kirt Kempter for this link. I have an Icelandic cruise scheduled with Smithsonian Journeys in July - I hope we get to go and see this!

Screen capture of the Live Feed taken at 15:35 MST on March 20, 2021. This could be real exciting - hopefully not too exciting for the wonderful Icelanders. The last time this volcano was actives was approximately lately 6,000 years ago, although a nearby eruption happened 781 years ago (in 1240 AD). People were living in Iceland in 1240 AD but not in 4,000 BC. Friday night's initiation of surface volcanism culminates a three-month-long period where over 50,000 earthquakes have been reposted. These earthquakes were likely due to the magma below slowly rising to the surface.

The volcano and current eruption in daylight. Lots of lava is spilling onto the ground. This is a view from March 21, 2021.

Here is the volcano five days later on March 26, 2021. Lot's of growth in the cone from splatter and flows.

Here is a YouTube video of someone who was very close to the eruptive center. These look like aa (blocky) flows at the lava front.

See the Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Program page about the Reykjanes Peninsula here: https://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=371020. This peninsula is where the International Airport is located. However, that does not appear to be in immanent danger at this time.

ADDENDUM: My colleague Kirt Kempter keeps sending me wonderful videos that are made from near the edge of the eruption. This one is really good from a reporter who hiked one hour right up to the edge of the lava flow. I did see some pahoehoe textures in the lava front in this video. Iceland does have lax personal responsibility laws.

Watch this close-up time-lapse video taken on June 7 that shows periodic eruptions!