Contrasting forces of ice and fire exist side by side in Iceland. 11% of the country’s surface is covered with glaciers and 30% is lava fields. On average, an icelandic volcano erupts every five years, but rarely where anyone lives.
Vatnajökull Glacier in Iceland is the largest ice cap in Europe. In fact, it is larger than all the other glaciers in Europe combined. In 1996 and 1998, volcanoes erupted under the ice of Vatnajökull, pushing up new mountains and causing huge floods due to melting ice along the uninhabited south coast.
The island has about 130 volcanic mountains, of which 18 have erupted since the settlement of Iceland in 874 AD. Over the past 500 years, Iceland's volcanoes have spewed forth one third of the total global lava output.
Iceland has a high concentration of active volcanoes due to its unique geography. Seismologists say this high concentration of volcanic activity is due to the island's position on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the geothermal activity underneath the island. The island sits astride the boundary between the Eurasian and North American Tectonic Plates. Most of the volcanic activity is concentrated along the plate boundary.
The most recent volcanic eruption in Iceland was that of Eyjafjallajökull, which erupted on April 14, 2010. The Eyjafjallajökull eruption closely followed an eruption in March at Fimmvorouhals. The ash cloud was large enough to shut down airports across more than 20 European countries for some 8 days.
The volcano has been great for bird watchers. The lull in airplane traffic made Iceland quieter. There is a known link between birdsong and ambient noise. Birds living near motorways have a louder pitch to their song than their counterparts in quieter parts of the country.
Finally, Iceland's most active volcano is called Hekla. Hekla is a common female name in Iceland. "You go, girl!"
-Berry
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