Volcanic eruptions in Iceland

The Volcanic Island

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 latest media sensation Fagradalsfjall, which recently erupted on the Reykjanes Peninsula.

As a result, many people ask, Is a volcano still erupting in Iceland? Of course, we understand the interest; there is hardly anything as fascinating as volcanos.

The easiest way to find out is to check the official Catalogue of Icelandic Volcanos and see if any of the 32 active volcanic systems in Iceland has a color code RED (a volcano is considered active if it has erupted in the past 10,000 years). If no volcano is erupting, likely, we won't have to wait too long for the next one since Iceland is one of the most active volcanic regions on the planet, and an eruption occurs every four years on average. However, the duration of eruptions will vary; they can last from just minutes or hours up to months or even years.

Where fire meets ice

Iceland's ice-covered volcanos produce black ash when 1,200°C hot basalt magma meets ice and explodes.

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 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.

Below you can find links to eruptions in Iceland in the 21st Century and other volcano-related articles.