When the Hawaiian phase of the eruption in Eyjafjallajökull volcano finished many people did believe and think that the eruption in Eyjafjallajökull volcano was over for a long time. But they where to proven wrong about 23:30 UTC on the 13. April 2010 when a new phase started in the Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption. For the first few hours of the eruption nothing did happen on the surface. As the eruption had to melt the glacier that was on top of it. That did finish around 06:00 UTC on the morning of 14. April 2010 and the eruption broke up to the surface around that time.
The eruption up to this day had just been Hawaiian type eruption with slow moving lavas and with little to no volcano ash at all. The second phase of the eruption in Eyjafjallajökull volcano was mostly of Strombolian type of eruption. With little to heavy ash fall. But in the early start of the eruption and specially when a water got into the crater the ash fall was heavy. The volcano ash cloud did at it’s highest peak go up to 10 km high.
This eruption in Eyjafjallajökull volcano is not among the Iceland biggest or the longest one. But during the six weeks of eruption it did manage to shut down Europe air-space down to Spain creating a billion euro worth of pure loss to the economic in Europe. But the ash fall did not just create problems in Europe. In Iceland farmers living close to the Eyjafjallajökull volcano got there own share of problems. Most of the problems where due to the ash fall (A video player that can play wmv file required) and the flooding that took place around Eyjafjallajökull volcano that took place because of the melting glacier on top of Eyjafjallajökull volcano.
Other things that where seen in this eruption in Eyjafjallajökull volcano was a smoke ring, something really rare and most often found in Etna volcano in Italy. But shock waves where also seen and heard across Iceland during this eruption. But it was also recorded when the eruption was throwing up large rocks from the main crater. Some people also made really cool videos of the eruption. Here is one of it.
Among the many things that did happen was the fact that a lava did flow into the glacier and destroy the glacier in the process. This happening in a eruption in Iceland had not been recorded or observed until the eruption in Eyjafjallajökull volcano in the year 2010.
Picture of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano smoke ring. Picture captured from Vodafone IS web cam that was observing the eruption. Copyright of this picture belongs to Vodafone IS. Click on this picture for a full size.
Update: A meeting at University of Iceland tomorrow since it has been one year since the eruption in Eyjafjallajökull volcano.
Tomorrow from 17:00 to 19:00 UTC at Askja, room 132 and central space. Please see the pdf file for more information about this even. I was asked by a geologist working at University in Iceland to publish this here for anyone how is interested in going to this event.
Eyjafjallajökull one year on at University of Iceland
Click to read this pdf file.
Brought forward to the appropriate thread (less the post office rant).</i<
I think that Eyjafjallajökull’s fame had a lot to do with the short sightedness of the various EU authorities and the knee jerk reactions, in part fueled by a highly excitable and rabid press.
Other than that, most of the EU’s problems were due to the North Atlantic Oscillation and the variability of the Icelandic Low in those conditions. Eyjafjallajökull happened to have gone off when the prevailing conditions directed its ash plume towards Europe. The NINE previous Icelandic volcanic eruption didn’t freak everybody out as badly.
My guess is that a well established (stable) Icelandic Low directing the ash plume towards the open ocean had a lot to do with it.
A repost of my graphic (I also posted it on the Eruptions blog)
First, how to read it…
A positive NAO means a stable and well established Icelandic Low (a semi-permanent atmospheric feature). A negative NAO means that the Icelandic Low and the Azores/Bermuda High are in flux and moving around quite a bit. The Az/Bm high drives the tropical systems. Together, they steer most of the airmasses in the North Atlantic.
As you can see, the other nine eruptions did not occur during strongly negative NAO conditions. That means a stable Low/High relationship.
http://i51.tinypic.com/72d6o6.png
Reply
Here is a new news about the last year eruption in Eyjafjallajökull volcano. In this article at Icelandic Met Office there is also a new picture of the crater at top of Eyjafjallajökull volcano from 9. March 2011.
http://www.vedur.is/um-vi/frettir/2011/nr/2163
Hmm google translate has problems with the article 😛 (as always..)
Can’t believe it is already a year ago that the eruption was (and that I’ve seen the eruption live!)
Since then my interest for volcanoes really increased! Would love to see another eruption!
But it’s so quiet now that I doubt anything will happen soon.. Though that doesn’t say a thing at all…
Is this a extremely long period of inactivity? earthquake wise, not that much happened since like the end of octobre or something (despite the big swarm in krysuvik)
Hekla bore-hole strain figure has been modified. I like it!
http://hraun.vedur.is/ja/hekla/borholu_thensla.html
Magnitude mb 4.7
Region GREENLAND SEA
Date time 2011-04-14 15:52:03.9 UTC
Location 75.52 N ; 7.56 E
Depth 2 km
Distances 1116 km NW Murmansk (pop 319,263 ; local time 19:52:03.9 2011-04-14)
751 km NW Tromsø (pop 52,436 ; local time 17:52:03.9 2011-04-14)
361 km SW Longyearbyen (pop 1,232 ; local time 17:52:03.9 2011-04-14)
Hi Jón F., thanks for all the good work you do. I didn’t come to Eruptions until the second phase of E., so I missed your early predictions and the first phase, but it is nice to have you around on your own as eyes and ears on Iceland. Good luck in your plans, keep your goal in mind and you will get there.
Thanks! 🙂