Hekla stands 4,892 feet (1,491 metres) above sea level 70 miles (110 km) east of Reykjavík, the capital, at the eastern end of the island’s most extensive farming region. Hekla erupts a magma type that is unique for Iceland, intermediate between highly silicic and andesitic composition. The most active and best-known volcano in Iceland is Hekla. Hekla erupts from a fissure that is parallel to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and about 20 km (12 miles) in length. [8] By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. [49], The British poet William Blake showed Winter being banished to Hekla in To Winter, one of the works from his Poetical Sketches.[50]. It sits on a rift-transform junction, and has produced basaltic andesites, in contrast … ADDED. The eruption, which was preceded by sulphurous smells and earthquakes, started as a Plinian eruption, producing an ash cloud reaching an altitude of 11.5 km within 10 minutes which had travelled over 200 km north-northeast to the coast within 3 hours. [34], The lava flow stopped after 13 months on 21 April, having covered 40 km2 and with a maximum depth of 100 m. The lava beds produced were mainly the ʻAʻā lava type with Pāhoehoe and lava a budella (lava tubes) areas. It was a VEI 3 eruption producing a lava volume of 0.189 km3 DRE[38] / 0.29 km3[12] and 107 m3 of tephra. The longest lava stream produced was 8 km long and stopped in Stóraskógsbotnar. Wikimedia. I visited the volcano hekla in january 2019. Mt Hekla The most “renowned or infamous” volcano of Iceland, Hekla, is situated on a 25 miles long volcanic fissure. Hekla had four minor eruptions during this time: in 1970, 1980, 1991, and 2000. Over the last few years, locals to South Iceland have begun noticing changes in the physical structure of Hekla stratovolcano, a dominating presence on the landscape. … Icelandair named one of their aircraft after Hekla. Since then there have been between twenty and thirty considerable eruptions, with the mountain sometimes remaining active for periods of six years with little pause. In total 24,000 tonnes of CO2 was emitted. Hekla has featured in artistic works since the time of its medieval infamy. During these 2 days, 800 m³/s of lava were produced, slowing to between 1 m³/s and 14 m³/s for most of the eruption. 1158: This eruption is believed to be responsible for the formation of the Efrahvolshraun lava flow on the west side of Hekla. In To Lie With Lions, by Dorothy Dunnett, a party of merchants visiting Iceland in the year 1471 is threatened by an imminent eruption of both Hekla and Katla. Overall Hekla isn't a major tourist attraction but it can be a good mountain to climb. It is estimated to be 6000-7000 years old and the life expectancy of such central volcanoes is … The most active part of this ridge is a fissure about 5.5 km (3.4 mi) long named Heklugja. Deposits were 20 cm thick 10 km from the summit, decreasing to less than 1 mm at the coast 230 km away. [12][35], The 1970 eruption of Hekla started at 9:23 pm on 5 May 1970 and lasted until 5 July. Summit Elevation: 1491 m 4,892 feet . It will also require that the public and curious spectators who always rush to the scene at the start of a new outbreak, be kept much further away from the volcanic activity than was thought necessary during previous outbreaks. Yes, Iceland is most certainly a volcanic island! The first pumice fell on Búrfell power station, 15 km away, at 9:35 pm causing people to evacuate. Forest and some grasses are much more resilient to ash and pumice fall than low vegetation, but the combined effect of human habitation and the volcanic activity has left an unstable surface very susceptible to erosion. Following the most recent eruption the path goes most of the way to the summit;[45] the walk takes 3 to 4 hours. The main tephra deposits were to the north-northeast and lasted for around 2 hours. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, This article was most recently revised and updated by, Oregon State University - Volcano World - Hekla, Hekla - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). But there is a general correlation: the longer Hekla goes dormant, the larger and mor… "The Hekla, perpetually condemned to storms and snow, vomits stones under terrible noise". Repose periods at the volcano have lasted from 10 to 102 years. Fine grains can have a fluorine content of 350 ppm, and fluorine poisoning can start in sheep at a diet with fluorine content of 25 ppm. The larger cones produced more tephra, occasionally with lightning within the tephra cloud. The word part 'strato-' gives you a hint at the way a stratovolcano is formed. The structure of Hekla is considered intermediate between crater row of Laki-type, and stratovolcano of the Vesuvius-type. Eyjafjallajokull and Katla, neighbouring volcanoes, are believed to be related. It had a VEI of 3 and produced 0.2 km³ of lava covering an area of 18.5 km² and 6.6×10 7 m³ of tephra, deposited over an area of 40,000 km², mainly to the northwest of the volcano. Hekla is Iceland’s most famous volcano. By midnight lava had already covered over 1 km² and this extended to 7.5 km² by next morning implying a flow rate of around 1500 m³/s. For the first two hours, tephra was produced at the rate of 10,000 m³/s. Viewed along the fissure, Hekla … This 1419 m (4,892 ft) tall stratovolcano has inspired artists and writers for decades and during the Middle Ages, Europeans believed that the "Gateway to Hell” was to be found on the summit of Hekla. Hekla is a stratovolcano located in the south of Iceland and is about 1,491 meters (4,892ft) high. By 5:30 on 6 May, the lava flow measured 4 km long. A diverging is the type of plate boundary that the Hekla volcano formed. 450 farms and 95,000 sheep were affected by the eruption. Because of its frequents eruptions Hekla has produced one of the largest volumes of lava in the world in the last thousand years, around 8 km3 and 10% of the tephra created in Iceland has come from Hekla. Since 1970 the time between eruptions has been about 10 years.. The whole mountain ridge of Hekla is about 40 km long. For the barque purchased in 1902 for use by the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition, see, Note: Volcanoes listed here are "central volcanoes" unless a, The Odd Saga of the American and a Curious Icelandic Flock, "Hekla – The queen of the Icelandic volcanoes", "Ejemplos del Volcanismo Fisural en los Andes del Sur (38°L.S. Hekla volcano in South Iceland began a new eruption on February 26, 2000 at 18:19 GMT. Lava flowed from its base until mid-June when the lava cut through the north crater wall. Unlike Eyjafjallajök… These were of rock types including basalt, andesite, ignimbrite and sedimentary rock. Random Volcano Information (interesting facts about the volcano) During the middle age in iceland, people use to call it gateway to hell. Because it was snowing a lot and i was in the middle of a snowstorm. It’s one of the most active volcanoes in Iceland with over twenty eruptions since 874. Hekla erupts from a fissure that is parallel to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and about 20 km (12 miles) in length. [12][30], A VEI 3 eruption occurred from 17 January 1991 to 11 March 1991, producing 0.15 km³ of lava and 2×107 m³ of tephra. Initially the lava comprised 57–58% SiO2 and 11% Fe2O3, from the time of peak flow onwards this changed to 54% SiO2 and 13.5% Fe2O3. The explosion is estimated at VEI-5, and there are some indications that it originated from a caldera. [39] During this eruption, a NASA DC-8 aeroplane accidentally flew through the plume with all instruments switched on, resulting in unprecedented measurement of a young volcanic plume.[40]. These extended to a maximum of 4.5 km from the volcano, covering 5–6 km². There are many craters at the peak, two of which are known to erupt more than the others. Hekla is located near the southern end of the eastern rift zone. Hekla is referenced in the third chapter of Herman Melville's novel Moby Dick, in EE Ryan's The Odd Saga of the American and a Curious Icelandic Flock, and in the final chapters of Joan Aiken's novel Is. After the final Hekla-3 eruption, the volcano changed its behaviour. The eruption started weakly at 9:23 pm IMT ± 2 min before increasing in power. In April and May 1948 CO2 emitted from cracks in the ground pooled in hollows near to Hekla, killing 15 sheep and some wild animals and birds. Travel photos from Hekla Volcano Eyjafjallajökull volcano is in good company. Hekluskógar, a 90,000 ha reforesting project is attempting to restore the birch and willow woodland to the slopes of Hekla, starting with soil fertilisation and grass sowing. [41][42] After an eruption, almost all of the 'safe sites' on new lava flows are colonised by mosses within 20 years[43] expanding to a homogeneous layer up to 20 cm thick within 50 years. The eruption threw ash to a height of 6.6 km, and a new crater formed at the summit from which 3 lava flows originated. The 1766 explosion caused great loss of life. GPS coordinates: 63°59'29'' N, 19°39'41'' W Max. The volcano can be reached using the buses to Landmannalaugar 30 km further east, and it is possible to stay or camp at farms in the area. Corrections? Earth tremors began at 8:48 pm on the evening of the eruption; the largest had a magnitude of 4. A Danish steamer called Hekla also saw combat in the First Schleswig War. Krafla (Icelandic pronunciation: ) is a volcanic caldera of about 10 km in diameter with a 90 km long fissure zone, in the north of Iceland in the Mývatn region which is situated on the Iceland hotspot atop the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at the divergent boundary between the North American Plate and the Eurasian Plate.Its highest peak reaches up to 818 m and it is 2 km in depth. The tephra was transported northwards by the wind, causing the sky to turn black in places – 190 km away at Blönduós tephra fell from midnight until 2 am, and ash fell on a trawler 330 km away at 2 am. Last Known Eruption: 2000 . Hekla is Iceland's most famous volcano and the one that has erupted most frequently in recent years. A scientist filming one of the lava streams on 2 November was hit by a block of lava and was killed. It is located west of Iceland's SE volcanic rift-zone. At 10:30 pm a crater at 780 m was producing a lava column which reached an altitude of around 1000 m. During the night a 700 m high lava fountain was thrown up from the main crater. By the evening of the next day, 10–12 craters had formed, each throwing pieces of lava 50–100 m in the air. In summer, there are easy (F) mountaineering routes also around the crater rim,[46] and it is possible to snowcat to the top in winter. Hekla is a stratovolcano in the south of Iceland with a height of 1,491 m (4,892 ft). The eruption of 1947–48 lasted for 13 months and sent an ash cloud nearly 16 miles (27 km) into the atmosphere; ash fell as far away as Finland. Hekla last erupted in 2000. The lava front had a height of up to 15 m. On 15 and 16 June, a branch of lava flow to the south of Melfell traveled over 1 km in 30 hours before slowing and stopping by 21 June, 7.8 km from the Lava Crater. It was a must do in iceland! The DBU Copenhagen football club Boldklubben Hekla play at Hekla Park. The requirements for a performance of Hekla include four sets of rocks hit with hammers, steel plates, anvils, sirens, cannons, metal chains, choir, a large orchestra, and organ.[51]. That night it contained 17 lava fountains, each 20–50 m in height. Although near a zone of spreading, it is not a typical rift volcano. The magma reservoir feeding Hekla is located at a depth of 5-9 km. [12] The eruption went through four phases: Eruption activity was at a maximum in the first hour, and by the first night the fissure on Hekla had opened to a length of 6–7 km. During the Middle Ages, Europeans called the volcano the “Gateway to Hell”. The volcano itself is about 3 miles long and about 5000 feet high. Some sheep were kept inside and fed on hay or moved, but other farmers were forced to graze their flocks outside. The Hekla 3 eruption and the ensuing volcanic winter play a large role in Stephen Baxter's alternate-history novel Bronze Winter. A small Danish cruiser launched in 1890 was named Hekla; it was scrapped in 1955. Hekla is a stratovolcano, located near the southern end of the eastern rift zone in Iceland. Later that day a 900 m long fissure opened 1 km north of the main Hlídargígar crater. [47] A visitor centre, The Hekla Center at Leirubakki Farm, opened in 2007.[48]. 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