Fire and ice: Geologists get front-row seat for Hekla eruption

March 1, 2000
Web posted at: 4:55 p.m. EST (2155 GMT)

(CNN) -- A group of Icelandic geologists were in the right place at the right time to witness a fiery spectacle when one of Europe's highest volcanoes belched torrents of lava and ash across a frigid landscape.

Dr. Pall Einarsson of the University of Iceland Science Institute was taking quake measurements around Mount Hekla on Saturday an imminent eruption was detected.

Einarsson sent out a warning, and just 45 minutes later, the volcano began to spew lava and ash.

"When the eruption started, the lava flowed from a seven-kilometer-long crack at the top of Hekla, and there was smoke and ashes up to a height of 13 kilometers," Bjarni Richter, a geologist with Iceland National Engergy Authority, told CNN Denmark.

Twelve hours later, Richter said, the strength of Hekla's eruption was down to 10-20 percent.

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The lava flowed from the top of the mountain in an 8-10 meter (26-33 foot) blanket, while the ash covered the surrounding landscape up to a depth of 3 centimeters (1.2 inches), turning the white landscape black.

The latest eruption is in accordance with a new rhythm for Hekla, Richter said. During its earlier phase, Hekla became active every 50 years, with some very powerful eruptions.

Since 1970, the mountain has erupted about every 10 years, in 1970, 1980, 1991 and now in 2000, with lesser magnitude. There was also a small eruption in 1981 that may have been connected to the one in 1980, Richter said.

The geologist declined to speculate on the length of the current eruption, but he said it resembles the 1991 blast, which lasted for seven weeks.

The column of ash up to six km (3.7 miles) high has attracted hundreds of sightseers to the remote region around the volcano, 120 km (75 miles) east of the capital Reykjavik.

Many of them became trapped in their cars on Sunday by bad weather and had to be rescued.

Hekla, one of Europe's highest volcanoes, rises 1,491 meters (4,892 ft) above sea level.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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