SCI Iceland's Hekla Volcano may be ready to erupt at "any time."

Melodi

Disaster Cat
This isn't a disaster story yet but air traffic will be affected if she blows; hikers are already being asked not to hike on or near the mountain - Hekla goes off every few years so this isn't unusual but she's showing the same signs she did the last time -

Nature and Travel | Iceland Monitor | Mon 20 Jun 2016 | 11.13 GMT | Modified at 11.30
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Iceland’s Hekla volcano “ready to blow”
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A Hekla eruption.

A Hekla eruption. Photo: Iceland Monitor/Rax

A geophysics professor from the University of Iceland has warned people not to travel up Hekla volcano in South Iceland as it could erupt at any moment.

As reported by Icelandic news website visir.is (link in Icelandic), Hekla erupted regularly ever ten years or so from 1970 to 2000 – but has now been silent for sixteen years.

According to Professor Páll Einarsson, pressure readings within the famous volcano are now higher than before the last two previous eruptions – meaning it could blow with little warning.

Scenes from the last Hekla eruption in 2000.
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Scenes from the last Hekla eruption in 2000. Photo: Iceland MonitorRagnar Axelsson

“Hekla is a dangerous volcano,” says Einarsson. “We could be looking at a major disaster when the next eruption begins if we are not careful.”

MORE: 1980 Hekla eruption passenger jet near-miss

“Hekla has become a very popular tourist destination. Nowadays, there are tourist groups on Hekla most of the summer,” Einarsson explain in the visir.is article.
Prof. Páll Einarsson.
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Prof. Páll Einarsson. Photo: Iceland Monitor/Ómar Óskarsson

“There are also 20-30 planes full of passengers flying right over the top of Hekla every day,” he warns. “This is a risky moment which we need to take seriously.”

New measurements have shown that Hekla has been gathering magma and internal pressure is higher than before the last two previous eruptions. “Hekla is ready – at any moment,” Einarsson concludes.
http://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/news/n.../06/20/iceland_s_hekla_volcano_ready_to_blow/
 

willowlady

Veteran Member
Is Hekla the one which, back in 2010 when the unpronounceable one blew, everybody was worried about -- that if it blew it would bring on famine, ice-age, etc.?
 

Melodi

Disaster Cat
They both have "Witch" names are designated as female; Laki (who is considered a male giant/volcano) is the one that nearly destroyed Iceland in terms of human settlement and was seen by Benjamen Franklin on his way across the Atlantic.

Something like 2/3'rds of the population of Iceland died and it is now believed to have killed field laborers (who inhaled the tiny dust particles by being outside all day) as far as England and France.
 

Publius

TB Fanatic
Is Hekla the one which, back in 2010 when the unpronounceable one blew, everybody was worried about -- that if it blew it would bring on famine, ice-age, etc.?



We have so many going off now and with the grand solar minima, all its going to take is one or two big volcanic eruptions and we just many see that major cooling take place.
 
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