![]() In each of these places-on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Kīlauea in 2018, Cumbre Vieja, and Nyiragongo-the impact of the eruption extends far beyond the margins of the lava flow. In 2021, the eruption of Cumbre Vieja, in the Canary Islands, produced lava fountains and flows which reached the ocean, cutting through residential areas and destroying over a thousand buildings.Įarlier that same year, a flank eruption of Nyiragongo volcano, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, sent lava flows through several villages, destroying about a thousand homes and killing 32 people. The Iceland and 2018 Kīlauea eruptions are just two of several recent examples that highlight the destructive nature of lava flows. USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists keep a close eye on the monitoring data, particularly for any signs of magma migrating into the East Rift Zone. However, at Kīlauea, we have been fortunate that this multi-year eruptive phase has been safely contained within the summit caldera, with no threat to residential areas. The summit caldera at Kīlauea has been in a multi-year phase of crater refilling, following the collapse and subsidence of the caldera floor during the 2018 eruption. In a way, this recurrent eruptive phase in the Reykjanes Peninsula is reminiscent of the current era that we see at Kīlauea. This no doubt adds to the anxiety of Grindavik residents. This suggests that the past five eruptions may be just the start of activity that could persist for years. The last eruptive phase in this part of Iceland occurred 800 years ago, but eruptive phases have lasted decades or longer. Unfortunately, the geologic record suggests that more eruptions could occur in the near future on the peninsula. Thousands of tourists were drawn to the up-close views of spectacular lava fountaining. Most of these have been a safe distance from residential areas. Over the last three years, five different eruptions have occurred on the Reykjanes Peninsula. The eruption this month in Iceland hasn’t been the only recent eruptive activity there. Nearly half of the town was destroyed and today, a house “graveyard” is present on the surface of the 1973 lava flow that covered the town, with stone markers showing the location of each owner’s house accompanied by a small sketch of the residence. That eruption was, perhaps, most notable for the use of water cannons to try to cool the flow and arrest its advance before it blocked the entrance to the fishing harbor. In 1973, an eruption sent lava through the village on the island of Heimaey, with lava creeping into the nearby bay. This isn’t the first time that Iceland has dealt with destructive lava flows. But the magmatic system has been reinflating beneath the surface, indicating another eruption could happen in the near future. The flow inched into the edge of town and destroyed several houses.īy the next day, the flow front had stalled, and the eruption was ending. Fissures opened just a few hundred meters (yards) upslope of the town, sending a lava flow into residential areas. A new eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula began on January 14, threatening the small fishing village of Grindavik. ![]() During the four months of that eruption on the lower East Rift Zone, hundreds of homes were destroyed, and thousands of lives were disrupted.īut this scenario also occurred just this month, in Iceland. These scenes may bring up difficult memories for Island of Hawaiʻi residents whose lives were affected by the destructive 2018 eruption of Kīlauea. A stone marker over a house destroyed by a lava flow from the 1973 eruption on the island of Heimaey, Iceland.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |