1 / 21

Heimaey of Iceland

Heimaey of Iceland. An Icelandic tale of fire, flows, and Vestmann ingenuity T. Saylor IV. The Basics. 6 km off the mainland Last erupted January 23, 1973 – Eldfell (Mountain of Fire) Eruption ended late February of the same year

calida
Download Presentation

Heimaey of Iceland

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Heimaey of Iceland An Icelandic tale of fire, flows, and Vestmann ingenuity T. Saylor IV

  2. The Basics • 6 km off the mainland • Last erupted January 23, 1973 – Eldfell (Mountain of Fire) • Eruption ended late February of the same year • Island was originally fueled by Submarine volcanism and created by Helgafell • Fishing City • Population of ~ 4,100 (2011) Fig 1A

  3. Vestmannaeyjar • Along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge • Youngest volcanic system in the Eastern zone of Icelandic volcanism (Subaerial vents of Holocene age) • Named after original Irish slave settlers • Vestmenn (West men), Aeyjar (Islands) • Most Famous Island, Heimaey • Also home to Surtsey (20 km to the SW) Fig 2A Fig 2B

  4. Early History • Iceland first settled by the Norse Gaells (Ostmann, or East men) who brought Irish slaves in 874 (recognized as first settlers) • Hjörleifur, murdered by these slaves in his first year • Ingolfur (3A), Hjörleifur’s blood brother tracked them down to Heimaey, and enacted revenge • Later, in 1627, the islands were captured by Barbary Pirates from Algiers • Gained modern fame through Surtseys eruption in 1963(3B) Fig 3A Fig 3B

  5. IcelandsVolcanic History • ~ 125 volcanic eruptions documented since 874 A.D. (USGS, 1973) • 14 offshore eruptions, centered mainly off of the Reykjanes Ridge (USGS, 1973 Fig 4A

  6. Eldfell • 1:55 AM January 23, 1973, 10 years after Surtsey • A 2 km long fissure opened in the ground in what was originally a peaceful field • A vent centralized to the NE and Eldfell was born Fig 4A Fig 4B

  7. Fig 6A

  8. The Fissure/Cone • Dormant for approximately 5,000 years • 20 million cubic meters of tephra ejected • Built the cone in 2 days • Eventually became 183m tall (February of 1973) Fig 7B Fig 7A

  9. Lava! • 230 million cubic meters of lava • Alkali basalt (Murgearite to Hawaiite) • Flow rate of 3-9 meters a day, moving towards the town and harbor, so low effusion rate • Submarine volcanism (Surtseyan), later moved to Hawaaiin • Initial Eruptive rate:100 m3/sec • Seawater to the rescue! Fig 8A

  10. Fig 9A Simmer down now! • Large scale cooling effort • Pumping equipment borrowed from the U.S. • 1.5 billion gallons of water • 30 kmof pipe • 43 pumps • Began in early July, 1973 • Used bulldozers to move tephra over the flows in order to lay pipe Fig 9B

  11. More on cooling • Workers laying pipes over actively moving flows (10A) • No casualties during this effort • A few cases of minor burns • The pipe supports quickly burned, but the pipes themselves were still cool due to the seawater moving through them that they survived. These pipes can still be seen today. • Mostly inhabitants who volunteered to stay and help fight the flames as well as a team of Icelandic scientists and engineers (USGS, 1973) • Most ambitious attempt by man to control a volcanic event Fig 10A

  12. After the Eruption • ~350 buildings burnt to the ground • 70 homes nearly completely buried in tephra • ~ 15 million cubic meters of tephra needed to be removed from the town • Most of the towns original inhabitants returned for the cleanup efforts. Fig 11A

  13. Geothermal power • Heat was extracted from the slowly cooling lava flows; Fig 12A shows latent subthermal heat after the 1973 eruption • Used as a heating system for the town of Vestmannaeyjar • System emplaced in 1979 and operated for ten years until the flows cooled. Fig 12A

  14. Geothermal System Schematic • Fig 13A; a USGS schematic for the geothermal heating system used in Heimaey, Iceland.

  15. Heimaey Today Fig 14B • Approximately 4,100 inhabitants (2011) • Still Icelands most important fishing harbor • For a sweet panorama showing the town today as well as Helgafell and Eldfell, follow this link: http://www.vestmannaeyjar.pano3d.eu/ • Þjóðhátíð, a festival celebrating Icelands independence from Denmark is now the main attraction Heimaey offers; 24 hours of fun and beer! • Also home to Puffins! (Fig 14B) Fig 14A

  16. Heimaey Hazard Map • Lava and pyroclastics Hazard Map • Proximal hazard • Medial Hazard • Distal Hazard • Hazard Maps created by Tom Saylor IV using GoogleEarth, USGS, known weather patterns and other documents for reference Fig 15A

  17. Hazard Map Cont. • Tephra and Ejecta Hazard Map • Proximal hazard • Medial Hazard • Distal Hazard • Hazard Maps created by Tom Saylor IV using GoogleEarth, USGS, known weather patterns and other documents for reference Fig 16A

  18. A note on the previous Hazard Map • During the 1973 eruption, prevailing winds blew tephra to the North East rather than the South West. • The dominant wind pattern for Heimaey is a South Westerly wind, but depending on time of year as well as other weather conditions this can change (Weather Underground, 2012). • Fig 17A (USGS,1973) shows the plume rising from Heimaey during the 1973 eruption. Fig 17A

  19. Volcanic (mostly) Videos • Follow this link for a video of the 1973 eruption and evacuation efforts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VX9e9ei6v3s • Follow this link for an educational video on the 1963 Surtsey eruption and the 1973 eruption of Eldfell:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sRw_e5RA34 • For nearly 30 minutes of uninterrupted Puffin action, follow this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVrRJvZdZHg

  20. Image References • 1A : Centrum. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.centrum.is/~edda/heimaey1.html>. • 2A : Gill, Victoria. "Could Another Icelandic Volcano Erupt Soon?" BBC News. BBC, 05 Oct. 2010. Web. 04 Nov. 2012. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8668604.stm>. • 2B : Google Earth Screen Capture • 3A: ÓVÁ. "IngólfurArnarson." Flickr. Yahoo!, 17 Feb. 2011. Web. 05 Nov. 2012. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/2odinn/5451743423/lightbox/>. • 3B : "Space Aliens Blamed For Electric Universe." Space Aliens Blamed For Electric Universe. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2012. <http://www.thunderbolts.info/tpod/2007/arch07/071105spacealiens.htm>. • 4A : "Man Against Volcano: Heimaey, Iceland." Man Against Volcano: Heimaey, Iceland. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2012. <http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/heimaey/>. • 5A : Centrum. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.centrum.is/~edda/heimaey1.html>. • 5B : Centrum. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.centrum.is/~edda/heimaey1.html>. • 6A : Centrum. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.centrum.is/~edda/heimaey1.html>. • 7A : Centrum. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.centrum.is/~edda/heimaey1.html>. • 7B : "Iceland in Pictures." Icelandpictures.tumblr.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2012. <http://icelandpictures.tumblr.com/post/17314265440/vestmannaeyjar>. • 8A : Centrum. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.centrum.is/~edda/heimaey1.html>. • 9A : http://ffden-2.phys.uaf.edu/212_spring2005.web.dir/philip_fitzgerald/tecniques.htm • 9B : Volcano.und.nodak.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Nov. 2012. <http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/europe_west_asia/heimaey/heimaey.html>. • 10A : "Man Against Volcano: Heimaey, Iceland." Man Against Volcano: Heimaey, Iceland. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2012. <http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/heimaey/>. • 11A : "Man Against Volcano: Heimaey, Iceland." Man Against Volcano: Heimaey, Iceland. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2012. <http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/heimaey/>. • 12A : "Man Against Volcano: Heimaey, Iceland." Man Against Volcano: Heimaey, Iceland. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2012. <http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/heimaey/>. • 13A : "Man Against Volcano: Heimaey, Iceland." Man Against Volcano: Heimaey, Iceland. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2012. <http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/heimaey/>. • 14A : http://drinks.seriouseats.com/images/2011/09/20110901iceland-500.jpg • 14B : Col, Ela. Puffin. 2012. Photograph. Heimaey, Iceland. Flickr, 20 June 2012. Web. 4 Dec. 2012. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/elacol/7427598690/>. • 15A : Courtesy of Tom Saylor IV, 2012. • 16A : Courtesy of Tom Saylor IV, 2012. • 17A : "Man Against Volcano: Heimaey, Iceland." Man Against Volcano: Heimaey, Iceland. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2012. <http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/heimaey/>.

  21. Text References • Centrum. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.centrum.is/~edda/heimaey1.html>. • Einarsson, T., 1974, The Heimaey eruption in words and pictures: Heimskringla, Reykjavik, 56 p. • "Man Against Volcano: Heimaey, Iceland." Man Against Volcano: Heimaey, Iceland. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2012. • Morgan, A. V. "The Eldfell Eruption, Heimaey, Iceland: A 25-year Retrospective." Geoscience Canada 27.1 (2000): 11-18. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. • <http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/heimaey/>. • Simkin, T., and Siebert, L., 1994, Volcanoes of the World: Geoscience Press, Tucson, Arizona, 349 p. • Williams, R.S., and Moore, J.G., 1983, Man against volcano: The eruption on Heimaey, Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland: U.S. Geological Survey General Interest Publication, 27 p

More Related