Tens of thousands of sightseers have already walked the steep and bumpy path to the newly formed crater, taking in the mesmerizing sight of hot lava that began erupting from the earth a week ago in the Meradallir volcanic valley near Reykjavik. On Wednesday alone, when the site reopened after three days of bad weather, more than 4,600 people came to admire the bubbling magma just 40 kilometers from Iceland’s capital. In total, about 23,000 hikers have already done it, according to tourism services.
The hike to the crater is at least 14 kilometers and involves an elevation gain of 300 meters. The walk from the nearest parking lot takes about two hours and the terrain is difficult. Construction equipment did, however, excavate the mountain during the three-day closure to pave the road and facilitate access for the public and rescuers in the event of an emergency. “It’s the longest walk I’ve ever takensays British tourist Celine Paul. “My fiance convinced me to come saying it would be a unique experience. And so it isHe adds, watching lava erupt from the ground in a continuous roar.
Visitors passing through on Wednesday were equipped with walking poles, hiking boots and rain gear, a stark contrast to the shorts and shorts worn by the few who rushed to the scene after the crack opened up the valley floor. , August 3.
At the end of the long pass, on the hill overlooking the valley, magma eruptions appear. “The hot rock erupting from the ground is truly the first thing you see“says 31-year-old American tourist James Maniscalco. A plume of bright orange lava, spewing up to 70 meters high and still falling in confluence, pauses while solidifying large plumes of jet to form a volcanic hemisphere.
“We never get tired”
A flow of liquid basalt at around 1,200 degrees Celsius, the hottest lava the Earth can produce, stretches up to two kilometers from the jets and spills out of the valley floor to spread south. “We really see the power of nature” wonders Clemence Ernoul, a young French woman from Nantes. “It’s something you’ll probably only see once in your lifetime.“. Gusts and rains do not diminish the wonder of the amazed onlookers glued to the sides of the mountain.
The eruption has continued at a fairly steady pace in recent days, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said, adding that it could continue for a long time. “It could very easily have lasted as long as the previous onesays volcanologist Torvaldur Thordarsson. Lava spewed from a nearby volcano near Mount Fagradalsfjal for six months last year, making it Iceland’s longest volcanic eruption in 50 years. “As long as the magma feeding tube at depth remains open, we will have continuous eruption– explains the specialist.
Land of ice and fire, Iceland has 32 volcanic systems that are currently considered active, the highest in Europe. On average, there is an eruption in the country every five years. Iceland, a huge island near the Arctic Circle, straddles the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the rift in the ocean floor that separates the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. The movement of these plates is partly responsible for the intense volcanic activity.
Source: Le Figaro
