V is for...

The topic for today's post was a though choice between Vampires and Volcanoes. Then last night around 21.00, Norwegian time, another volcano erupted in Iceland, and voilà! I have my topic!

Volcanoes.

The volcano that erupted last night was Grímsvötnum. As it's situated under a large glacier, Vatnajökull, they're expecting some flooding. Luckily Grímsvötnum is in the middle of nowhere, so there aren't many people near it.

Grímsvötnum usually have small, short eruptions every five years, but last time it erupted was in 2004, so 7 years ago. This time the eruption seem a bit bigger as well, they're expecting it to last for a week. Iceland has closed their airspace (all of it!) and has notified other European countries, like Britain and Norway, that there might be some problems with air traffic. Since their airspace is closed, any flights to America that usually flies that way, has to take a route further south. Although they're taking all these precautions they're not expecting it to be as bad as the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull last year.

Some coworkers of mine went to Iceland last weekend. I bet they're glad they're home and safe now.

Eyjafjelajokull erupted not long before I was going back to Norway last year. I got to Oslo airport Gardermoen with no problem. While I was waiting for my next flight, another flight in the same direction I was going got cancelled because of the ashes that was still in the air. I got a little nervous when I heard that, as the flight I was catching was the last one for the day. Luckily I got on it and it landed in Molde on time.

I remember that when Eyjafjellajokull erupted last year, they were talking about how the eruption might make other "delayed" volcanoes nearby on Iceland erupt as well. I guess they were right. The scientist noticed the glacier above Grimsvotnum started to melt late last year, and they knew it would erupt this year.

Volcanoes fascinate a lot of people, including me. I think it would be really cool to watch a volcano erupt with my own eyes, from a safe distance of course. I would also like to climb a volcano. Although I'm not sure I will ever dare to do that, as even extinct volcanoes can suddenly decide to become active again. Scientist say that extinct volcanoes are unlikely to erupt because they no longer have a lava supply. It's the unlikely bit I don't like...

You know on American films and tv-shows (and probably in real life) they make volcanoes as a school project. I would have loved to do that when I was in school!

The worlds most famous volcano is probably Mount Vesuvius in Italy. In 79 A.D. it killed about 2000 people and destroyed and buried the cities of Pompeii and Herculoneum. The cities were forgotten about and not discovered again until the 18th century! And the discovery was accidental! Pompeii is by the way another place I would like to visit before I die.

Vesuvius is the most densely populated volcanic region in the world, with 3,000,000 people living nearby. Because of the nearby population and the fact that it's known for it's many and explosive eruptions, it's today considered one of the worlds most dangerous volcanoes! I don't think I'll climb that in the near future!

(source)