This Japanese tourist was well prepared with an umbrella when negotiating Sólheimajökull glacier, the southwestern outlet of the Mýrdalsjökull icecap.
Mýrdalsjökull is home to Katla, one of Iceland’s most feared volcanoes. The mountain, with the magma chamber only 2 km (1.24 m) below the top of Mýrdalsjökull ice cap, is closely monitored.
Katla last erupted in 1918. Until then, eruptions at an interval of 13 to 95 years marked its history. So it could blow its top any day now.
In July, a small glacial flood occurred, and travelers noticed the smell of sulphuric gases near rivers close to the glacier. This weekend (the first weekend of August) the road to the glacier was closed off with local rescue units patroling the area as the front of the glacier could explode at any moment due to massive amount of water below it.
This is a very active area indeed.
This Japanese tourist was well prepared with an umbrella when negotiating Sólheimajökull glacier, the southwestern outlet of the Mýrdalsjökull icecap.
Mýrdalsjökull is home to Katla, one of Iceland’s most feared volcanoes. The mountain, with the magma chamber only 2 km (1.24 m) below the top of Mýrdalsjökull ice cap, is closely monitored.
Katla last erupted in 1918. Until then, eruptions at an interval of 13 to 95 years marked its history. So it could blow its top any day now.
In July, a small glacial flood occurred, and travelers noticed the smell of sulphuric gases near rivers close to the glacier. This weekend (the first weekend of August) the road to the glacier was closed off with local rescue units patroling the area as the front of the glacier could explode at any moment due to massive amount of water below it.
This is a very active area indeed.
