FISSURE ERUPTION OF ICELANDIC VOLCANOES

FISSURE ERUPTION: JUNE 10th 2023
Icelandic volcanos regularly make top news in the global media, like the notorious Eyjafjallajökull in 2010, which stopped all air traffic over Europe for several days by spewing ash in the air, and the media sensation Fagradalsfjall from 2021 and 2022 on the Reykjanes Peninsula.

The nature of eruptions in Iceland is diverse, from small effusive eruptions where lava flows quietly from fissures and crater rows to significant explosive eruptions in ice-covered central volcanos that produce large ash plumes—literally where fire meets ice.
The latest Icelandic eruption on July 10 2023 is typical example of Fissure Eruption.

FISSURE ERUPTIONS:
Not all eruptions start with an explosion caused by gas pressure. Fissure eruptions occur when magma flows up through cracks in the ground and leaks out onto the surface. These often occur where plate movement has caused large fractures in the earth's crust and may also spring up around the base of a volcano with a central vent. Fissure eruptions are characterized by a curtain of fire, a curtain of lava spewing out to a small height above the ground. Fissure eruptions can produce very heavy flows, though the lava is generally slow moving.

The reason for Iceland's intense volcanic activity is the country's geological position, where dynamic geological forces are at work between the spreading plate boundary on the Mid-Atlantic Ocean ridge and a powerful mantle plume creating a hot spot on the surface. Together, they produce large amounts of magma, filling the gaps in the crust made by the spreading plates, resulting in frequent eruptions along the rift zone.

Enjoy and learn
Jiri

Видео FISSURE ERUPTION OF ICELANDIC VOLCANOES канала Jiri VonDrak