Iceland's Volcano Spews Lava Geysers High Into the Air, Thrill Seekers Left in Awe

Iceland's Fagradalshraun volcano lies quietly in the Geldingadalir valley near Mount Fagradalsfjall when it sprang to life in mid-March spewing red molten lava geysers high into the sky, which is visible to the country's capital Reykjavik.

Residents and tourists were amazed at the awe-inspiring display, which brought more visitors from around the world eager to witness the beautiful natural phenomenon as close as safely possible to avoid the sprays of red-hot rock, Phys.org reported.

Witnessing Earth's Power

Henrike Wappler, a German woman who lives in Iceland, said while standing at the Fagradalshraun volcano with her daughter that geysers spewed high into the air is incredible to see.

While marveling at the beauty of Earth's power, she said in an interview on Saturday, May 8, during her fourth visit to the site that she feels so small being near with the incredible power of the Earth and that she feels scared.

The volcanic activity of Fagradalshraun was still calm continuous and low-key a week ago, but its recent activity now alternates between quiet spells and furious outbursts, the news outlet reported.

The national meteorological office of Iceland measured one geyser during the dawn of May 5 and was able to record a height of over 1,500 feet (460 meters).

Fagradalshraun volcano's powerful bursts have thrown hot rock fragments known as tephra. It landed several hundred meters from the crater where the uninhabited area of the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern Iceland is located.

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But before those powerful outbursts, it was preceded by a loud noise that resembles the sound produced by an airplane, said Freyja Wappler-Fridriksdottir, one of the 2,500 people at the site last Saturday. Visitors were kept 500 meters away from the crater for safety purposes.

"It's not every day we can go to look at a volcano so close. It's just really amazing and so beautiful," she said.

Other people also said that watching the geysers produced by the volcano was like waiting for the bomb to pop. Volcanologist Magnus Tumi Gudmundsson said that despite its outward appearance, the volcano's activity remains continuous as its magma continues to flow normally and no pulsations.

Eruption After 6,000 Years

According to RTE, the Fagradalshraun volcano started erupting on March 19. It has been 6,000 years since the volcano erupted and it is the first to erupt in the Reykjanes peninsula after over eight centuries.

Since the volcano's eruption a few months ago in the Geldingadalir valley, many new vents opened up. Due to that, experts have predicted that the volcanic activity could continue for several months, and if not it could be decades.

Volcanologists are certain that the eruption is far from superficial as the eruptions come from the Earth's crust. Edward Marshall of the Institute of Earth Sciences said that the recent eruption of the volcano is the most primitive lava that they have recorded since the Ice Age from 10,000 years ago.