Volcanoes

Emily Stroud

09/18/2020

Volcanoes

    Sweden doesn't have any volcanoes, but Iceland, which is close to Sweden, does. Iceland "is a true paradise for volcanologists" (www.volcanodiscovery.com). There are 32 volcano systems in Iceland and about 130 volcanic peaks. Most of its volcanoes are stratovolcano, but shield volcanoes are also common.

    Since 1104, there have been 18 eruptions from the Hekla volcano, the last one being in 2000. Hekla is the most famous and active volcano in Iceland. Hekla’s long name is Heklugja. This giant volcano is 4,892 feet tall. It is a stratovolcano volcano. Hekla means Icelandic for short-hooded cloak, and it is believed that the name was given to it because of the layer of clouds hovering around it. 

 

    The most dangerous volcano in Iceland is Katla. When it erupts, it explodes. Katla, known for its frequent and explosive eruptions, produces more carbon dioxide than almost any other volcano on Earth. It last erupted in 1918 and is currently buried beneath a glacier. Katla is emitting between 12,000 and 24,000 tonnes of the gas each day.

     Iceland has been covered in monitoring devices to collect data about earthquakes. Here is a map of where the monitoring devices are located and what the devices do:

 

 

Geodetic GPS Receivers

Mounted on rock outcrops, these monitor how the ground swells by centimeters as it fills with magma just prior to eruption.

National seismic network

Generally for earthquakes, this network of sensors shows how waves move through Earth’s crust before, during, and after an eruption.

Strain Monitors

Buried in boreholes in the sides of a volcano, these can determine whether Earth’s crust is being crushed or dilated at any given moment.

Radar

Constant micro­wave radar measurements of airborne particulates could help predict the rate at which a volcano will release ash and other material

Sources: Volcanoes of Iceland / VolcanoDiscovery; Iceland's Volcanoes | LEARNZ; Amazing Facts About Iceland's Volcanoes; Volcanoes; The active Hekla volcano | South Iceland; About Hekla Volcano, Iceland's Most Active & Famous Volcanoes; Top 3 Icelandic Volcanoes Most Likely to Erupt Very Soon!; The hidden talent of a dangerous Icelandic volcano; Volcano Alert: A System to Warn Us About the Next Major Iceland Eruption