Has the volcano stopped erupting?
Fagradalsfjall volcano is erupting since March 19. The volcano itself has evolved a lot through the months, both in shape and lava flows. The question is: will it stop in a few days or weeks? We cannot be sure about it but what we do know is that the volcano is unpredictable and full of surprises.
As you may know, a volcano was borned on March 19 in the South West of Iceland. Since then, it has been erupting continuously for almost 4 months now. As you can see here, the eruption has been changing from week to week and even sometimes from day to day. These days, the shape of the volcano consists of one big crater. The time between eruptions is longer than it’s ever been before, for an average of 16 to 24 hours. As a consequence, the volcano is still erupting, but you might have to be patient to see lava spitting. However, on the night of the 2nd of July, a big eruption occurred. The lava flow was huge and flowing from all sides of the crater.
Afterwards, the volcano stopped erupting for a while for a 16 hours break. Maybe it needed to slow down a little? However, the volcano erupted again the day after. It now has a new rhythm, confirming the fact that the volcano is really unpredictable and full of surprises.
So how’s the situation there?
Well now the valley is filled with dry lava. It is more difficult to get close to the volcano. New paths have been made but they only permit to see the crater from a certain distance, but you can still spot lava flows and spitting lava from a distance on top of a mountain nearby :
At the moment (7th July 21):
- 3 trails are open
- Path A is open and is a constructed route that allows an easy hike to get there. You can see the lava from close but the crater is visible from a distance. In case of bad weather, it’s difficult to spot it.
- Path B is the longest and most difficult route. The visibility is very little since you can see the crater only from behind. The mountain is not high enough to see inside the crater.
- Path C is the newest route and now the easiest hike. It also allows you to see the crater, even though it is from a distance. However, the lava flows and spitting lava are visible and you’ll also have a view on the dry lava field.
- Parking:
You now have to pay a parking fee if you go to see the volcano by car. Note that is forbidden to park along the road.
- Webcams:
If you are not sure about the weather or the visibility, check one of these live videos before getting there. They all are available on YouTube and allows you to see how the visibility is like. Very useful!
- Useful links:
- SafeTravel.is
- Volcano discovery
