Eyjafjallajökull Glacier

Eyjafjallajökull Glacier Aptitude

Eyjafjallajökull Glacier is also known as “Islands Mountains’ Glacier.” It’s situated to the west of Myrdalsjökull glacier and to the north of Skogar.

Eyjafjallajökull is cone shaped and was formed as a result of many eruptions over a long period since the ice age. Sitting on an area of 78sq.Km, it’s the 6th largest Iceland glacier.

The glacier ice cap covers the vibrant Eyjafjallajökull stratovolcano. These kinds of volcanoes are called glaciovolcanoes and quite a number of sub-glacial volcanoes in Iceland fall under this group. For example, Katla, Hekla, and Askja volcanoes

Gigjökull and Steinholtsjökull from the mountain range drop down into two small glacial lakes covered with floating, calved organic icebergs. Gigjökull leads to Lake Jokullon while Steinholtsjökull leads to river Steinholsta which then flows into Lake Krossa.

These two lakes are surrounded by encircling walls built up by tons of terminal moraine.

Wrath of Eyjafjallajökull Volcano Eruption

On 14th April 2010, Eyjafjallajökull glacier volcano erupted after two centuries for the first time. The eruption was so massive that it suspended all air travels in Europe. Iceland became a centre of attention worldwide, and around 10 million air travellers were grounded by this eruption.

The series of eruptions and plumes of smoke lasted as long as ten weeks bringing chaos and uncertainty to passengers. Some people even feared that Iceland’s far more powerful adjacent volcano Katla might erupt in the aftermath as witnessed in the past.

Jokulhlaup and other Eruptions

In 1967, there was a landslide onto Steinholtsjökull. This landslide of around 15 million cubic meters hit the glacier and a huge wave of air, water, and ice got as high as 75 meters from the floor of the valley.

Between 1821-1823, eruptions caused catastrophic glacier runs, Jokulhlaup. Volcano crater was 3-4 km wide, and the glacier covered an area of about 100sq.km.

Mountain Ridge, Eyjafjoll was part of the Atlantic coastline, but now lies under the hills of Eyjafjallajökull glacier. Sheer cliffs with numerous waterfalls like Skogafoss were left behind by the former coastal line. At times when the wind is severe, water from the falls are blown up the mountain.