Nornahraun
| Nornahraun lava field eruption | |
|---|---|
 Eruption at Nornahraun, September 4, 2014 | |
| Volcano | Bárðarbunga |
| Date | August 2014 - February 2015 |
| Location |
Bárðarbunga, Iceland 64°51′N 16°50′W / 64.85°N 16.83°WCoordinates: 64°51′N 16°50′W / 64.85°N 16.83°W |
| Impact | Air pollution |
Nornahraun is a new lava field in Suður-Þingeyjarsýsla, Northeastern Region, Iceland. Another name of the lava is Holuhraun. Nornahraun is in the Icelandic Highlands, north of Vatnajökull 42 kilometres North East of Bardarbunga volcano caldera. The lava field was created by fissure eruptions as a result of the 2014–2015 eruption of Bárðarbunga. According to the Icelandic Met Office it is the largest lava field in Iceland since the Laki eruptions of 1783.
On 10th January 2015 the area of the lava field was 84.1 square kilometres and has erupted more than 1.1 cubic kilometres of lava with an average thickness of 10 metres to the East, 12 metres in the centre and 14 metres to the West. The lava flowed inside a closed channel to the Eastern edge of the lava field about 15km from the Baugur crater and also to the North. [1]
The name Nornahraun meaning "Witches lava" was proposed at the Institute of Earth Sciences website by Thor Thordarson in October 2014 and has appeared in official communiques on the Icelandic Met Office website.[2] The eruption has produced an abundance of wind spun thread like lava extrusions known as Pele's hair which in Icelandic are known as Nornahár or Witches hair.[3]
References
- ↑ "Bárðarbunga and Holuhraun - overview | Articles | Earthquakes | Icelandic Meteorological office". En.vedur.is. 2014-08-20. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
- ↑ "Map". En.vedr.is. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
- ↑ "On names for the new lava flow field north of Dyngjujökull | Jarðvísindastofnun - Institute of Earth Sciences". Earthice.hi.is. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
External links
- Icelandic Meteorological Office page with latest updates on the eruption
- 3d map of volcanic activity updated live from IMO