Waiting for 1-2 eruption
I am not used to writing here about anything other than work online.
But the last weeks have been very special here in Iceland, so I've decided to write about other things now!
For the last few months, we have been waiting for a volcano around 20-25 kilometers from my home. We are very used to eruptions. Both because we have an average 275 earthquakes a day, most so little that you don´t find it.
But too, normally there is much going on around many active places about Volcano. So I have seen many tourist volcanoes. But too, very serious and big.
Last 4 years we have had 3 volcanos in this area we are now waiting for. Strange to say it, but when you learn to listen to nature you can find a lot of signs. Strange because some of us knew before scientists agreed that the vulcano was coming shortly.
Things like the birds moving to other places, incredible silence in the air, trees standing still, etc.
And early 10 of November started it all on more power! Luckily here in Iceland when nature is talking about a disaster, or Covid is etc, the authority has a stronger policy than nothing, and I mean nothing is hidden. We know what is going on, how much the danger is, what the plan is etc.
And here is a town called Grindavik, 20-25 minutes driving from me, which is the "main" problem. It can seriously disappear under lava. And as always, we are not talking about unrealistic things! And even so it is horrible to say it, I don´t know if that is the worst case!
Let's back a little. A very unusual big magma was trying to come and still is. Yesterday was just "walk and run," so places changed quickly. What is new here is that a for a first time there is a power energy station in danger. This means that in a bigger area than Grindavik, called Sudurnes can 30.000 people not get hot or cold water or electricity in November which can be very cold here in Iceland!
Many here I am sure have heard about the world-famous spa The Blue Lagoon! It's a great and relaxing place. It can destroy now, It is almost in the middle of the powers that are working.
But keep focus! In Grindavik, 4000 people live. Icelanders are 400.000, which is an incredible number for me because we were 320-350.000 for a long time.
What happened yesterday evening was that to some surprise the magma was so powerful and in a gab that it still looked like it could come up a Volcano under Grindavik downtown!
But people had time so all needed to leave the town but not in a hurry, had 2 hours to do that.
The night was sleepless for me because each 30 minutes or hour added fresh new news, always worse than before.
Now we are just waiting. We can wait for hours or days but it is 98% sure it will Volcano.
On this area most, or maybe all, volcanos are lava volcanos which are much better. But! Always this but! Now is a big danger that it comes up into the sea which would be horrible. If that happens, it will be an explosive volcano. It can then go up 10-20 kilometers in the air. Some here I guess remember the Eyjafjallajokull volcano 2013 I think. It had a huge effect on airplanes all over. Well, most probably that will be a joke if this goes into the sea on full power.
And even more strange, it is quite possible it will be 2 volcanoes in a small area, one in the sea and the other on the land!
And what we can do is just wait and update old posts like I am doing right now!
So take care all of you. And as my focus is for the moment not in WA, it can explain if I am late to read posts here.
Other than this, all in good! Look after your family and friends and have a great time!
Recent Comments
14
Johann, I'm sorry to hear about the possible volcanic eruptions. So you did evacuate? Thanks for sharing. I have a Deaf friend who lives in Reykjavík. I hope everything goes okay. I live near two volcanos myself in the Pacific Northwest in Oregon. Mount St. Helens and Mount Hood. Mount St. Helens erupted with a Pyroclastic blast that shot ash up in the air in March 1980, killing 57 people. I wasn't living here in high school in Washington, DC, on the opposite side of the US on the East Coast. Now, we have better technology to predict and better warning systems. If any of those Mountains blow, I have my backpack ready with supplies to evacuate immediately. We have had a few close calls as Mount St. Helen's is a younger mountain and highly active volcano. Stay safe, Johann!
I am located in Gardabaer, 5 minutes from Reykjavik so I am fine about the possible volcano. But I had, as always, felt for the quakes (never before get 3 strong in 55 seconds!), and if it started, the gas could be a problem. Like was in the first 3 tourist eruptions in the last 3 years.
But all the people in Grindavík, around 25 -30 kilometers from me and a place I have been to several times, needed to evacuate.
There has been a lot of work to help them get the most important things from the houses after it and to save 495 pets (2 days ago, there were 8 left of these 495, both cats and birds). And that part is dangerous because the magma is ca 500 meters from the surface so it will not be a warning, it is too close.
Like in your case people had things in a suitcase but even so, there were important things to get. Companies have been allowed to and have saved a lot of things.
But it is a big work because like in the home of people, they have 3-5 minutes, depending if they are in the yellow or red zone, to save things and 1-2 safety guards come with them.
2 houses are destroyed and 20 are damaged because the magma plus earthquakes rift the town in the middle.
So the Eastern part is much higher than the Western part.
Surprise there is no more possibility that it will not be a eruption but we need to wait for at least 7 days more to see that.
But it seems, 7-9-13, that it is now safe that it will not be a volcano in the sea which changes things a lot because it will not be ash or explosive.
St Helen is very famous so I understand that you know these things after living there. As it is much younger, it is similar to Iceland because it is so active in many places.
In the image are all active names but now the places that haven´t said a word have started to show their muscles!
But if there is an eruption we can´t walk there as in the tourist volcanos before because this would be much, more serious and probably the most we had seen at least since 1972 when there was a volcano in Vestmanna Islands in the South of Iceland.
Wow, thanks for sharing the images. I didn't know they had 33 of them. That is a lot. Yes, I am aware it's active in many places. Thanks for sharing all this information. It's like that here: moving people and animals is the most challenging thing in any natural occurrence like fire, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, and other destructive storms, plus volcano eruptions all over the earth.
At 15.00 today, they needed to empty Grindavik directly again, but not e
today, we were forced to leave Grindavik immediately, but not in an emergency but we made a big difference between that.
People had had the third and last chance to pick up the necessary items (they had 5 minutes with a person from the civil defense, but that decision proved to be correct today because there was no need to double count if everyone had left the area). But it was not possible to let everyone go because of this and hopefully, it will get another chance to collect its goods.
The same was the case with companies that got 10 hours, but of course, also had to leave the area.
This was because gas was found in the meters, SO2, but it is not released unless the magma is very close to the surface, at least less than a kilometer. But we knew she was less than 800 from 2 days ago. The eruption will send no warning when and if it occurs.
The town is torn apart, and almost all the streets of the town are demolished. The western part of the town has subsided a lot, where the USA plate is, but is rising where the European plate is. The difference was 1.4 meters yesterday, but it could be more now. Not sure, though.
All boats and almost all 450 pets in the town have been saved (horses, sheep, frogs, pigeons, chickens, dogs, cats, and parrots, as well as hamsters)—also 15000 chickens.
But the wait is difficult. This is probably the most serious nature treat we have had since 1972, but probably this is more.
The next 10-15 years will most likely be the next 10-15 years. When it's finished, the next system takes over, but one of 3 areas is probably almost on my corner.
Good Morning Johann,
I, too, have been following what is happening in your country.
Quite awful to be without water and electricity in the cold.
Keeping fingers crossed for you and the Icelanders.
Greetings from the south of Spain,
Taetske
See more comments
And it has started. 45 minutes before came a warning about the eruption. And it is big at the start; for example, the Eruption line is 2800 meters. One village is clearly in danger, but huge going in.
And it is really big! It was serious tonight, but luckily, it slowed down today, and things look better, much better even so we never know!
This is the 4 of the last 3 years, so it would be good to get some Volcano holidays next year!
https://www.ruv.is/frettir/innlent/2023-12-18-beint-streymi-fra-eldgosi-vid-sundhnuk-399932