I really enjoyed that book.

I think any eruption on Iceland will be relatively small and of a rifting nature with lava flows rather than anything dramatic or disruptive. Hopefully something photogenic too (if it happens). 

I went to Pompeii in 2019; the scale of it was impressive and the place atmospheric.

Laki is fascinating, with the millions of tons of sulphur dioxide and hydrogen flouride pumped into the atmosphere. In terms of the UK, summer 1783 had periods of intense heat, but also a lot of storms and some frosts. Winter 1783/4 was extremely cold and snowy. Effects were felt around the world, with millions of deaths estimated as a result (Africa, parts of Asia: drought & famine; Europe: sulphur dioxide poisoning, crop failure; Americas: extreme winter)

Whilst I don't think this potential eruption would be anything like as severe, given the way the past couple of years have gone, I wouldn't totally rule it out! And it'd be the last thing the world needed.

They showed 2012 on Channel 5 last night

Forgotten how awful it was

Starts off quite well, goes rapidly downhill.

I'll not mention that Mt Pinatubo has been raised to Level 1 alert then (although no eruption is imminent despite the increase in unrest). 

Funny that, as I think you might have been the one to get me to buy it in a previous instalment of one of TWO's volcanic discovery tours.

I went to Pompeii in 2019; the scale of it was impressive and the place atmospheric.

Yes Saint I bet you would have found Pompeii fascinating especially some of the err murals. Hedonistic perhaps.

I've got a lava bomb/blob and some sulphur  I brought back from the little volcano in the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago and my son has some bits of Etna that he brought back from a school trip. So I suppose Roger you could hold a bit of Italy and Iceland in one hand at the same time even if you couldn't take the tunnel.

I see Etna's gone from fire to ice overnight.

https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia/sicilia/catania/vulcano-etna-sud.html

Nick

Laki in 1783 had a disastrous rifting eruption so is your comment based on current seismographic readings? I hope so.

This event is rated as 4 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index,[5] but the eight-month emission of sulfuric aerosols resulted in one of the most important climatic and socially repercussive events of the last millennium https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laki#1783_eruption 

I was much less impressed by Pompeii than by Herculaneum when we were last there, some 10 years back. A serious and efficient excavation and restoration job had been done in Herculaneum by an American foundation, but Pompeii was still taking the attitude that restoration consisted of putting up some scaffolding and 'Danger keep out' signs. I've since read that the Director of that time has been dismissed for incompetence and Mafia involvement, and that a new start was made in 2013 with the Italian Government taking a less laissez faire approach, so things may have improved.

Didn't see much in the way of scaffolding and whilst sections of the city were still being excavated, the majority was excavated and open to explore, with many 'feature' parts detailed.

We went from a cruise ship, and only had 4 hours there, which IMO was way too short (but in the opinion of my wife and kids was well long enough!) and our guide, whilst undoubtedly knowledgeable, was aloof, impatient and at times downright rude. And we never got to go in the visitor centre where most of the 'bodies' are displayed.

I'd looked at options to organise the visit independently with a tour company, but in the end plumped for the easy choice of just booking the cruise tour (prices were pretty much the same)

With hindsight, I should have gone the independent route, and even considered Herculaneum.

My comment is based on observations by volcanologists, the recent and current data and commentary from the Icelandic Met Office. It is not solely based on the fact that any eruption is likely to be a rifting episode. These things can always catch people by surprise, but the geology and history of the systems around that part of Iceland do not point towards a large eruption.

Thanks. Good news

Etna off again as I type this...

https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia/sicilia/catania/vulcano-etna-sud.html

Looking lively ( and yes this one is currently a live stream, but that may change ) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5z5efIcMb8M 

Great images Michael. What a scorcher.

Thanks for that link (again). Live it is this time (for now)...

I wonder if the Iceland disturbances will amount to anything. Whilst I wait I've been watching for the past few evenings  the Valhalla Murders recently which have some spectacular volcanic landscapes mixed into the crimes.

https://decider.com/2020/03/13/the-valhalla-murders-netflix-stream-it-or-skip-it/

The Valhalla Murders (original title: Brot) is a fairly straightforward murder mystery series, created by Thordur Palsson, that could have been produced just about anywhere. However, we’re happy that it was produced in Iceland, because it gives us a chance to look at the fine scenery in and around Reykjavik, one of most surreal and beautiful cities on earth. Low buildings surrounded by black rock formations, cold weather that doesn’t seem to bother most of the residents, and a gritty underbelly that we never see when we look at news footage of the city.

Nick

The Valhalla Murders sounds like what I commit in Assassin's Creed occasionally. 

I have never been to Iceland but love to go and see the volcanic landscapes. On that subject the earthquake activity (probably associated with magmatic dyke activity) continues unabated with some very shallow quakes in the last couple of days. The activity also seems to be edging southwestwards in the last day or two, getting closer to the ocean. 

It will be very interesting to see how things proceed over the next few hours/days/weeks/months/years.

A small update on the Iceland saga.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-56420607

Apologies if you've already watched it.

Nick

Red sky at night in this case seems unlikely to be a Shepherd's delight.

https://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/news/news/2021/03/19/eruption_has_started_in_fagradalsfjall/

It's reached the mainstream news this morning https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-56465393 

Just watched in on the news, DEW - impressive.

R.