My husband and I have a 10 day Westfjords/Akureyri trip in June and have zero intentions of cancelling, your home country is our heart ❤ Thank you for the informative update as always, stay safe out there. Bless bless og kær kvedja 🥰
We just got back from a 6 day vacation in Iceland...there is no reason to cancel vacation plans folks...beautiful place, nice people, and lots and lots to see...more to see than most vacations have time and the eruption impacts nothing...unless you had your heart set on Blue Lagoon. Do what we did, go to Sky Lagoon instead (warmer than Blue Lagoon anyhow). Thank you for your videos and insight...we watch your posts all the time!
Traveled in February, no need to cancel, doesn't affect airport or Reykjavik. I love Iceland and visit many times, I'm way beyond just coming to see once then leave. I did have a blue lagoon plan and each day I am just checking to see if we can go or not, if not, it is no big deal there is so much more to do and see in Iceland. Mother Earth always has the final say :) if you want to pretend you have control over her then better to vacation somewhere else ..
Beautiful coverage as always, and I love your questions and hypotheses too...answers will come eventually, and the hypotheses will either have proof, in time, or new ones will be suggested. For sure it is wonderful that we can see what is happening via your drone, and other drones, as it happens in the now. Thanks Gylfi
Terrific video, as all of yours are. You bring up things that people don’t realize, and I bet your work will be helpful years from now as study of Iceland’s geological processes evolves.
What wonderful video footage you have made to share with us. Thank you so much for that and for your explanations, questions, and opinions, Gylfi. Best regards to you. Please stay safe.
Your videos are so gorgeously shot and so full of information. This video is one of your very best in showing off just how beautiful your country is. Thank you for the update. Best wishes!
Beautiful work. I have been captivated by the story of Grindavik. It is an epic battle of man against nature, and so far man is holding nature at bay. The construction and safety crews are absolutely heroic. Thanks for sharing the story and your perspective. Wishing all the best. I would love to visit and see the rest of your beautiful country when I can.
Another informative film tHank you. We’ve all seen the massive amounts of lava still churning out of the cones and it’s all too easy to imagine the magma build up under the peninsular. I share your hopes and fears for Grindavik. The shots of the pollution cloud are extraordinary - I hadn’t see that before from that angle. Good luck to all the heroic fire fighters and berm builders, and geologists and other intrepid film makers.
8 місяців тому+2
Interesting and really refreshing to see a bit different views of the ongoing eruption. As always, Yours are the ones I appreciate the most!
So glad you are covering this aspect of the latest eruption. While we all love the drama of the volcanoes, there are so many other aspects that are vitally important to document and study. Thank you so much for your farsightedness Gylfi. Your efforts are always very much appreciated … 😊
Thank you so much. I’m hoping for the best for everyone affected by these volcanos. I visited just before the July 2023 eruptions and fell in love with the country and the people. When I get some money saved up it’s one of the first places I will visit again.
There cannot be any way to know or control these huge active volcanic eruptions and earth systems. Amazing how the diversion of lava has worked so far in this area of the Blue Lagoon. Stay safe there, Gylfi!
Thanks for the update, Gylfi. The Sulphur Dioxide really glows red in your photos which gives us glorious red sunsets here in the UK and continental Europe.
Another excellent video Gylfi. I’m due to come to Iceland in August for 12 days. This volcanic activity isn’t going to put me off coming back to Iceland. I can’t wait. I’ve had quite a few people ask if I’m still going back to Iceland with the ongoing volcanic activity on Reykjanes peninsula.
Thanks for showing the big picture of the peninsula with the wide shots and maps. The size and extent of the main volcanic plume are impressive in your video. I also noticed the smoke from the moss fires near the recent lava flows in your video. That is another growing problem of air pollution for Grindavik and the Blue Lagoon. Isak is doing the close-up views that are also interesting but difficult to see in perspective sometimes. He has also lost several drones with his risky approach. His live stream today showed the smoke from the moss fires is getting worse.
I'm disappointed to hear that some people are cancelling their trips. Iceland is the land of Fire and Ice, not to mention good people, so that's something they should expect and want to see. Frankly, if had the means I'd be there yesterday. Hopefully those that do come spend generously and tread lightly. Your footage is absolutely spectacular. Even if i couldn't get close to the volcano, that view of the sun highlighting the eruption plume is mesmerizing. Your instincts for capturing nature at it's most photogenic is unsurpassed. About your geology questions, that would be a good series to interview your geologist friend, as well as possible collaborations with Shawn Willsey, Geology Hub, or others. You pose knowledgeable questions that we're interested in finding out about. I look forward to seeing what comes from these thoughts and concerns you have. May you have an enjoyable Easter weekend. 💜🇮🇸✌️😎🍀
You always give great updates. A part of me wishes i had the funds to go to Iceland and see everything in person but also to help where needed. Thinking of all Icelanders, stay strong.
Thank you for the update and wonderful footage. It seems all predictions are off for now and the lava pool keeps growing. The people with their heavy machinery are doing a great job, I hope they can keep Grindavik safe.
This was really interesting. And I hope that the bigger picture you are wondering about is wrong. I mean, it would be cool to see if it was connected to the shield volcano, but it might be a disaster if it is.
I usualy take 43 to Grindavik then 427 to 38 and to Hverageroi. This is one of my favoriate places to stay in Iceland. Have you ever been to the Alma Bakery there. We always go there for lunch. About 10 US dollars for some of the best soup in Iceland and bread and drink. It is all you can eat. I have found that Iceland has some of the best Icecream and chocolate that I ever had. I would like to see a video on the Botanical garden in Akureyri. Do you ever do videos of the garden in Iceland. If you visit Iceland and do not see any of the garden you have missed something special. The one Akureyri is free. Maby I will see you during my visit. Ben
Thanks the update Gylfi! I visited beautiful Ísland not long ago with my partner. Our visit was intentionally off season to avoid the crowds of tourists. Still my partner just had to go to the Blue Lagoon since it's a ritual of her's now. This was her third time in Iceland, including one winter trip. I went begrudgingly and the experience was mostly as I expected for this type of tourist dominated attraction. Fortunately I survived 😅 and was really happy to discover the mobile phone free zone. Big thanks to the person monitoring the area as they were really good at their job and caught many tourists that tried to enter the area with their phones in hand! The remainder of our trip was exploring more remote areas. We prefer outdoor adventures so most of our time was spent in areas with very few or no people. We experienced some of the most beautiful, unique and remote places. The only word that can describe these areas would be 'magical'. For the brief time spent outside of these areas we did, as always try not to not stand out as tourists. Most of this was accomplished by learning about and respecting the local culture and acting accordingly. Additionally we focused on supporting small, local businesses just like we do at home. I mention trying not to act like tourists the comments on Iceland relying heavily on tourism. My experience from the beautiful places I've lived in is that over promoting and relying heavily on tourism is very risky with huge consequences to the quality of life and cost of living for the Icelandic people, not forgetting the environmental damage as well. My hope is that Iceland can find the right balance in regards to tourism. Maybe learning from mistakes like the Blue Lagoon, which would be an example of not putting all your 'tourist' eggs in one basket. That and definitely not putting profit over people! Interesting side story that relates to tourism...we met a group if engineers/scientists at one of the geothermal pools in the NE and they mentioned they were involved with the lava barriers (we met them before these recent eruptions) I asked one of them if they had been to Hawaii and they had not. After recalling this encounter it made me realize that Iceland should be looking at Hawaii to avoid the huge mistakes they've made, especially outside of the island of Hawaii where the mega resorts are. It makes me sad thinking about what had happened there 😞
Obviously sulfur dioxide can overwhelm a person and certainly kill. But in slight additions to the air, it is like magic. Standing at the edge of the lava flow with it creaking, breathing, groaning, sizzling, tinkling…then add that sulfur smell it is otherworldly!
Sulver and sulver dioxide are two complete different things. Sulver dioxide combined with water immediately turns into sulphuric acid. You don't want that to come out of your shower.
Very many thanks as ever for your updates - measured, not sensationalised. Not sure if I'll visit this time as I have another holiday booked with my brother later in the year and I need to watch my spending a bit! But I'll continue to keep a close eye on developments. I see you're getting more and more likes as I type this message!
I missing your beautiful videos! Thanks for the update. If I could travel to Iceland right now I would do it. No volcano would stop me, it’s an absolutely beautiful land
Thank you for the update -the biggie vent seems to be spewing lava at a steady rate. It is a characteristic of Mother Nature to be unpredictable. Thoughts and intentions things calm down there. God bless you.
Well it looks like you have some more filming to do,shes not done yet i dont think! Something has upset the lady of the land and we all know where that goes! Seriously take care,and all the best to your wonderful people,i hope it settles down a bit soon,although i love to see it,i also appreciate the bigger picture. Derrick.
I will be back in Iceland from 28 June to 15 Aug. This will be my 8 th visit. I am interested in what is happing in the vacano Askja. Thank you for all your work. Linda and Ben
Hi again Linda and Ben :) always welcome to Iceland, again :) the president should invite you for a coffee for all your efforts :) But if he will be busy, I will :)
Sending positive vibes from Belgium. I admire the icelandic people quite a lot: I'm not brave enough to live in a country straddling two tectonic plates.
It is also worth mentioning that the chemical composition of the magma coming from fagradalsfjall resembles the lava formed in the old shield volcanoes. Perhaps this indicates that the current eruption period will be quite different from those in the past 10000 years or so? I sure hope that will not be the case.
thank you for keeping us up to date,i am fom belgium,went on vacaition in iceland i follow you beceause want to know when i can go back,hope it will soon calm down👌👍❤
Amazing footage, wow! I think the government needs to get creative and more active in encouraging a more diverse economy. Hopefully the dip in tourism is just temporary. ❤
in fact, not everyone mourns fewer tourists :) but this is of course about balance as well and the economy took a huge blow from those events so it's bad timing now to do a dip
@@JustIcelandic I completely understand how they feel about fewer tourist. Many areas here in Oregon that I love to visit are now crammed with people, with other problems due to tourists. Hard to ignore the money that’s brought in, though. I have faith something will get worked out. 💙🩵
Really feel for you guys. Mother nature has no regard for humanity and our efforts. To see Grindivick swallowed up and disappear would devastating mentally. So stay strong people.
Watching from Alberta Canada. I wonder how the melting of ice on Greenland and thus the rebounding effect of less mass will cause local land rise and fall over the next 100 years will effect the volcanoes of Iceland. I feel it will have some great impacts upon it. Best of luck to the inhabitants of Iceland.
I think one of your comments could explain the falloff of tourism: Earthquake activity is increasing all over the peninsula. I would be traveling from the US and my concern is being unable to make the return trip to the airport. I haven't ruled out a trip. I'm just watching and waiting. Really enjoy your updates. I think they are the best and I appreciate your efforts to keep everyone informed. Nice work!!
I just booked a rental car for 3 weeks this summer with absolutely no intention to cancel unless something really dramatic happens. The current eruption won't keep us away.
Thanks fort sharing Gylfi. I guess March 2nd has widened the plumbing for this eruption. Svartsengi GPS station still shows slight uplift and I guess therefore there's still pressure on the magma to erupt except if the plumbing is getting clogged. Scientists have been comparing these events to Krafla in the 1980's I don't know detauils about that except that it also took a pretty long time before it stopped. Finally I hope tourism doesn't suffer. I had a photo exposition with the photoclub and gave 10 presentations about Iceland with good amount of people interested...
Hopefully the eruptions won’t damage too much more infrastructure and the surrounding towns. Grindavik will look strange with the huge lava berms surrounding it. PS - Fondly recall visiting the town many times as I explored the peninsula when I was stationed at Naval Air Station Keflavik in 1979-80
The Reykjenes Peninsula has quite complex geology it’s one of the extensions of the Mid Atlantic Ridge over the land in Iceland. The other is connected perhaps over the center of the hot spot that keeps Iceland growing in the same spot & not drifting like Hawaii. The Reykjenes has been quiet for a long time but that doesn’t necessary mean it’s going to become a main zone of activity. Other volcanoes along the central belt to the Vestmann Islands have been showing signs of unrest though not Hemay fortunately. This intrusion may have been trying to erupt in in the mountains but as it filled up the valleys it corked itself. Shield volcanoes often erupt on their flanks and im just taking and educated guess the lower landmass made the breakthrough of a greater amount of pressure building up for the past few years has found a conduit it likes. Got to hand it to the crews working with hot rocks to keep the berms above the pooling lava. Maybe if the eruption continues at this rate for a while longer taking a page out of the playbook of the Vestmann Islands and use industrial pumps and house to spray water at the lava front putting pressure on the berms. Solidifying the lava close to the berms would take pressure off them hopefully and while I’m not familiar with the topography it seems the lava has a pathway to the sea. Sparring the town if at all possible is key I would imagine with experts getting new data they are advising local and national authorities on what may happen and what can possibly be done. As for tourism I’ve gotten really interested after seeing so many photos of grass and mossy rocks that Iceland has had a tree planting program since the 1950’s. There’s an old US base on the edge of Reykjavik which has been allowed to grow into a forested park. was very surprised when I first found out about the 1-3 million trees being planted in Iceland every year. Rebuilding a domestic forestry industry is important for an island. Though Iceland’s has only so much good arable land & more would suffer from desertification from strong winds blowing up weak winter grass roots or the like reforestation becomes a national priority. Reforesting degraded landscapes by a combination of caring locals with a vested interest, environmentalists looking for areas to replant lost woodland. There’s also the tourist industry there are a number that offer modern amenities like showers and flush toilets in forested rustic campsites with the standard Icelandic scenery of lakes & waterfalls along with forests. There are many high end luxury cabin style resorts with hot springs/tubs & seemingly a variety of services. Looking at some of these sites and the option to camp in Icelands only National Forest is pretty cool something cool to check out in a country not known for its trees. Hallormsstaður Forest & Egilsstaðir among a few other things that kept getting wiped off my comment as I wrote it. They’re in the area of the National Forest in the East. Atlavík I pulled up from my search history as one I remember as legit, Höfðavík looked great too, selskógur is nice not super wild but no far from Reykjavik and honestly pretty nice by a lake & forested mountains. It’s a big hit to Iceland with the Blue Lagoon shut down & Grindavik and evacuated with thousands looking for new places to stay and work. I’m not sure I have the money for a overseas vacation this summer but I’m definitely hyped to come when I can I’ve been looking at prices and it’s just under 500 for round trip from Detroit to Reykjavik. As an avid volcano enthusiast Iceland has always been on my list. $500 round trip flight I can plan for & depending on what I want to sacrifice for I can always get that full experience package Iceland is famous. Or I can do my own thing for or more modest price but and who knows potentially more fun trip, especially when I get home and look at my bills. Lol
We will be arriving in Iceland mid-May. No worries, no concerns just excitement to experience what not everyone gets to. We have been several times and always enjoy the wonderful people, scenery and the food! Iceland has some of the best chefs in the world, in my opinion. I have been fortunate to visit many countries and so far, every meal I have had in Iceland tops all others for flavor. Can hardly wait for our visit in May ❤
Gylfi, what is the feeling of Icelanders towards tourists at the moment? I have wanted to ask for a while but thought it would be in bad taste. Are tourists welcome? Is it safe? I have never visited Iceland but have wanted to for a very long time. Also, my daughter is a geography student and very interested in volcanoes. When the eruption first began back in November I thought it might be interesting for us to visit and see the general area (not a close up!) but put it off because I wasn't sure if it was appropriate considering the impact on the people from Grindavik. Now, as time has gone on and with the developments of the last couple of weeks, I feel that the opportunity is gone. Are people still welcome in Reykjavik? Is there a feeling of worry about safety on the peninsula?
On the plus side I haven't seen negative Icelandic news reporting in the press in the northern Midwest of the USA. What I have seen are the outrageous prices airlines are charging for flights. So much so that my Summer trip will be by auto only.
I got this info from a sign in Stokkseri. Pjorsarhraun the greatest lava flow on earth since the last Ice Age. The lava came up in an enormous eruption around 6700 B.C., possibly in Heljargja canyoun in the Veioivotn region, in Icelands highland. The lava was very hot and fluid. It flowed at least 140 kilometers (87 miles) and was only stoped the ice cold waves of the North-Atlantic ocean. The lava is well visible in the skerries outside Stokkseri and Eyrarbakki. The great Pjorsarhraun lava is approx 975 square km (376 sq. miles) Its volume is 25 cubic km 96 cubic miles). It must have been quite a sight. Ben
Your accent sounds a wee bit scottish with dutch thrown in lol! I know it's icelandic but you roll your 'R's' like us scots do1 anyway anothher great bud very informative, keep up the great work!
Don’t mistake the english spoken by dutch people in the region of Amsterdam with the English spoken by dutch in the rest of the country. Around Amsterdam they can’t even speak proper dutch let alone English.
If I had the financial means to travel to Iceland every year I would... Especially now! So many questions. So much to worry about for my Icelandic brothers and sisters. Thank you again for the update and awesome images.
My husband and I have a 10 day Westfjords/Akureyri trip in June and have zero intentions of cancelling, your home country is our heart ❤ Thank you for the informative update as always, stay safe out there. Bless bless og kær kvedja 🥰
Sounds great! and welcome to Iceland 👍
We just got back from a 6 day vacation in Iceland...there is no reason to cancel vacation plans folks...beautiful place, nice people, and lots and lots to see...more to see than most vacations have time and the eruption impacts nothing...unless you had your heart set on Blue Lagoon. Do what we did, go to Sky Lagoon instead (warmer than Blue Lagoon anyhow). Thank you for your videos and insight...we watch your posts all the time!
Traveled in February, no need to cancel, doesn't affect airport or Reykjavik. I love Iceland and visit many times, I'm way beyond just coming to see once then leave. I did have a blue lagoon plan and each day I am just checking to see if we can go or not, if not, it is no big deal there is so much more to do and see in Iceland. Mother Earth always has the final say :) if you want to pretend you have control over her then better to vacation somewhere else ..
Thank you for all your hard work, it is appreciated ❤️
Always welcome :)
Always love hearing from you, Gylfi. Absolutely love the wide shots!
Thanks so much!
Beautiful coverage as always, and I love your questions and hypotheses too...answers will come eventually, and the hypotheses will either have proof, in time, or new ones will be suggested. For sure it is wonderful that we can see what is happening via your drone, and other drones, as it happens in the now. Thanks Gylfi
Terrific video, as all of yours are. You bring up things that people don’t realize, and I bet your work will be helpful years from now as study of Iceland’s geological processes evolves.
Gylfi, as always you think about the right questions and talk about what bothers you. You are a very thoughful person!
Thank you very much, try to be :)
Thanks for the update Gylfi.
Happy Easter to you.
I hope spring will enter Iceland soon.
I hope so too!
What wonderful video footage you have made to share with us. Thank you so much for that and for your explanations, questions, and opinions, Gylfi. Best regards to you. Please stay safe.
So much perspective in your videos and narration, great content!
Glad you think so!
Thank you for the update. I appreciate your balanced view. I like how you give credit to officials when things go well.
Always!
The time-lapse sequences are fascinating. Thanks.
Thanks :)
thanks for the update
Any time!
Good to hear from you again. 🙏
Welcome :)
Excellent footage and sensible commentary, thank you.
Thank you kindly!
Your videos are so gorgeously shot and so full of information. This video is one of your very best in showing off just how beautiful your country is. Thank you for the update. Best wishes!
Beautiful work. I have been captivated by the story of Grindavik. It is an epic battle of man against nature, and so far man is holding nature at bay. The construction and safety crews are absolutely heroic. Thanks for sharing the story and your perspective. Wishing all the best. I would love to visit and see the rest of your beautiful country when I can.
Another informative film tHank you. We’ve all seen the massive amounts of lava still churning out of the cones and it’s all too easy to imagine the magma build up under the peninsular. I share your hopes and fears for Grindavik. The shots of the pollution cloud are extraordinary - I hadn’t see that before from that angle. Good luck to all the heroic fire fighters and berm builders, and geologists and other intrepid film makers.
Interesting and really refreshing to see a bit different views of the ongoing eruption. As always, Yours are the ones I appreciate the most!
😄 appreciated
Beautiful photography as always
Thank you so much 😀
So glad you are covering this aspect of the latest eruption. While we all love the drama of the volcanoes, there are so many other aspects that are vitally important to document and study. Thank you so much for your farsightedness Gylfi. Your efforts are always very much appreciated … 😊
Amazing footage of the cloud formation, Gylfi. Something I've never seen before!
The overview of the entire area is very helpful, and I love the eerie beauty of the SO2 cloud.
Glad you enjoyed it :)
Your videos show the amazing beauty of Iceland.
Thank you very much!
May Iceland's Lava Barriers Never Fail
We sure hope so...
How about April Iceland's Lava Barriers? Do they fail sometimes or never just like May Lava Barriers?
Thank you so much. I’m hoping for the best for everyone affected by these volcanos. I visited just before the July 2023 eruptions and fell in love with the country and the people. When I get some money saved up it’s one of the first places I will visit again.
Thanks for the much needed update,great video !
No problem 👍
Seeing the amount of lava was amazing also how much and how deep it is when l was there in March . Love Iceland
Thank you for the update.
Best wishes for Easter.
Easter greetings
Wonderful photography Gylfi. Combined with your calm voice, it's very mesmerising. Thank you. ❤
My pleasure 😊
There cannot be any way to know or control these huge active volcanic eruptions and earth systems. Amazing how the diversion of lava has worked so far in this area of the Blue Lagoon. Stay safe there, Gylfi!
Thanks for the update, Gylfi. The Sulphur Dioxide really glows red in your photos which gives us glorious red sunsets here in the UK and continental Europe.
Great pictures mate.
Thanks 👍
Just finished a live dronestream by Isak. I cannot wait to see your next footage! thanks for the update!
Another excellent video Gylfi. I’m due to come to Iceland in August for 12 days. This volcanic activity isn’t going to put me off coming back to Iceland. I can’t wait. I’ve had quite a few people ask if I’m still going back to Iceland with the ongoing volcanic activity on Reykjanes peninsula.
Thanks for showing the big picture of the peninsula with the wide shots and maps. The size and extent of the main volcanic plume are impressive in your video. I also noticed the smoke from the moss fires near the recent lava flows in your video. That is another growing problem of air pollution for Grindavik and the Blue Lagoon.
Isak is doing the close-up views that are also interesting but difficult to see in perspective sometimes. He has also lost several drones with his risky approach. His live stream today showed the smoke from the moss fires is getting worse.
I'm disappointed to hear that some people are cancelling their trips. Iceland is the land of Fire and Ice, not to mention good people, so that's something they should expect and want to see. Frankly, if had the means I'd be there yesterday. Hopefully those that do come spend generously and tread lightly.
Your footage is absolutely spectacular. Even if i couldn't get close to the volcano, that view of the sun highlighting the eruption plume is mesmerizing. Your instincts for capturing nature at it's most photogenic is unsurpassed.
About your geology questions, that would be a good series to interview your geologist friend, as well as possible collaborations with Shawn Willsey, Geology Hub, or others. You pose knowledgeable questions that we're interested in finding out about. I look forward to seeing what comes from these thoughts and concerns you have.
May you have an enjoyable Easter weekend. 💜🇮🇸✌️😎🍀
You always give great updates.
A part of me wishes i had the funds to go to Iceland and see everything in person but also to help where needed. Thinking of all Icelanders, stay strong.
Beautiful footage and your viewpoint is always so thoughtfully communicated. Thank you!
My pleasure!
Hey Gylfi, hope you have been doing well, thank you for the information & great footage.
Hey, thanks
Thank you again Gylfi.
Hopefully you're feeling much better and gaining strength. Cheers from Australia
Almost perfect now, thanks :)
I am so sad for you and all of Grindavik and the entire country of Iceland! You are all in my prayers. I hope things get better for you all. ❤️🙏🏼❤️
Much appreciated!
Thank you for the update and wonderful footage. It seems all predictions are off for now and the lava pool keeps growing. The people with their heavy machinery are doing a great job, I hope they can keep Grindavik safe.
Brilliant information as always. Thank you
Thanks for watching!
This was really interesting. And I hope that the bigger picture you are wondering about is wrong. I mean, it would be cool to see if it was connected to the shield volcano, but it might be a disaster if it is.
Some fabulous footage again Gylfi! ❤
Thanks a ton :)
Thank you for all these informations !
Welcome :)
Great footage. Amazing with the volcano cloud.
Thanks 😊
Great update with amazing views .. watched twice .. thank you, Gylfi! ✨🧡
Awesome! Thank you!
I usualy take 43 to Grindavik then 427 to 38 and to Hverageroi. This is one of my favoriate places to stay in Iceland. Have you ever been to the Alma Bakery there. We always go there for lunch. About 10 US dollars for some of the best soup in Iceland and bread and drink. It is all you can eat. I have found that Iceland has some of the best Icecream and chocolate that I ever had. I would like to see a video on the Botanical garden in Akureyri. Do you ever do videos of the garden in Iceland. If you visit Iceland and do not see any of the garden you have missed something special. The one Akureyri is free. Maby I will see you during my visit. Ben
Thanks the update Gylfi! I visited beautiful Ísland not long ago with my partner.
Our visit was intentionally off season to avoid the crowds of tourists. Still my partner just had to go to the Blue Lagoon since it's a ritual of her's now. This was her third time in Iceland, including one winter trip. I went begrudgingly and the experience was mostly as I expected for this type of tourist dominated attraction. Fortunately I survived 😅 and was really happy to discover the mobile phone free zone. Big thanks to the person monitoring the area as they were really good at their job and caught many tourists that tried to enter the area with their phones in hand!
The remainder of our trip was exploring more remote areas. We prefer outdoor adventures so most of our time was spent in areas with very few or no people. We experienced some of the most beautiful, unique and remote places. The only word that can describe these areas would be 'magical'. For the brief time spent outside of these areas we did, as always try not to not stand out as tourists. Most of this was accomplished by learning about and respecting the local culture and acting accordingly. Additionally we focused on supporting small, local businesses just like we do at home.
I mention trying not to act like tourists the comments on Iceland relying heavily on tourism. My experience from the beautiful places I've lived in is that over promoting and relying heavily on tourism is very risky with huge consequences to the quality of life and cost of living for the Icelandic people, not forgetting the environmental damage as well. My hope is that Iceland can find the right balance in regards to tourism. Maybe learning from mistakes like the Blue Lagoon, which would be an example of not putting all your 'tourist' eggs in one basket. That and definitely not putting profit over people!
Interesting side story that relates to tourism...we met a group if engineers/scientists at one of the geothermal pools in the NE and they mentioned they were involved with the lava barriers (we met them before these recent eruptions) I asked one of them if they had been to Hawaii and they had not. After recalling this encounter it made me realize that Iceland should be looking at Hawaii to avoid the huge mistakes they've made, especially outside of the island of Hawaii where the mega resorts are. It makes me sad thinking about what had happened there 😞
Obviously sulfur dioxide can overwhelm a person and certainly kill. But in slight additions to the air, it is like magic. Standing at the edge of the lava flow with it creaking, breathing, groaning, sizzling, tinkling…then add that sulfur smell it is otherworldly!
It’s enough for me to get a whiff of the sulfur from my shower water 😂
@@Iz0pen I noticed that too!
Sulver and sulver dioxide are two complete different things. Sulver dioxide combined with water immediately turns into sulphuric acid. You don't want that to come out of your shower.
Seen to many closeups .This is the best ,great overview
Thanks a ton :)
no worries keep safe@@JustIcelandic
Very many thanks as ever for your updates - measured, not sensationalised. Not sure if I'll visit this time as I have another holiday booked with my brother later in the year and I need to watch my spending a bit! But I'll continue to keep a close eye on developments.
I see you're getting more and more likes as I type this message!
BEAUTIFUL footage!
Thank you very much!
I missing your beautiful videos! Thanks for the update. If I could travel to Iceland right now I would do it. No volcano would stop me, it’s an absolutely beautiful land
Thank you for your very informative update.
My pleasure!
Great video and commentary !
Thank you kindly!
I hope this eruption will soon be over. There is no fun when it occurs in a habited area. Thanks for the nice footages Gylfi. I understand your fear.👍
👍 welcome
Thank you for the update -the biggie vent seems to be spewing lava at a steady rate. It is a characteristic of Mother Nature to be unpredictable. Thoughts and intentions things calm down there. God bless you.
Uncertain times Gylfi. Many thanks, as always, for an update that we can all understand. Stay safe my friend.
Thank you kindly
Well it looks like you have some more filming to do,shes not done yet i dont think! Something has upset the lady of the land and we all know where that goes! Seriously take care,and all the best to your wonderful people,i hope it settles down a bit soon,although i love to see it,i also appreciate the bigger picture. Derrick.
Hi,thanks for this great dokumentation.I wish you a happy Easter.Greetings from Brunsvik
Many thanks! Happy Easter from Akureyri
I will be back in Iceland from 28 June to 15 Aug. This will be my 8 th visit. I am interested in what is happing in the vacano Askja. Thank you for all your work. Linda and Ben
Hi again Linda and Ben :) always welcome to Iceland, again :) the president should invite you for a coffee for all your efforts :) But if he will be busy, I will :)
I watch every day from California. It’s fascinating to see this happening. Hope the best for everyone over there. Thanks for the videos.
Thanks for watching!
Sending positive vibes from Belgium. I admire the icelandic people quite a lot: I'm not brave enough to live in a country straddling two tectonic plates.
There are some benefits as well :) and greetings from the volcano island :)
This is geology in action - ought to be a mass influx of geology students.
Iceland is a very popular geology classroom already :)
It is also worth mentioning that the chemical composition of the magma coming from fagradalsfjall resembles the lava formed in the old shield volcanoes. Perhaps this indicates that the current eruption period will be quite different from those in the past 10000 years or so? I sure hope that will not be the case.
Thank you very much for sharing!
Very nice video.
And Happy Easter to you !
Happy Easter
Goodness! No one should cancel a trip to your country because of these eruptions! There's plenty to see and do away from the eruption site!
Thank you for your beautiful informative videos, Gylfi! You are very much appreciated by so many of us who look forward to your updates always!🌟🌟❤️❤️
Thank you so much ❤
thank you for keeping us up to date,i am fom belgium,went on vacaition in iceland i follow you beceause want to know when i can go back,hope it will soon calm down👌👍❤
Amazing footage, wow! I think the government needs to get creative and more active in encouraging a more diverse economy. Hopefully the dip in tourism is just temporary. ❤
in fact, not everyone mourns fewer tourists :) but this is of course about balance as well and the economy took a huge blow from those events so it's bad timing now to do a dip
@@JustIcelandic I completely understand how they feel about fewer tourist. Many areas here in Oregon that I love to visit are now crammed with people, with other problems due to tourists. Hard to ignore the money that’s brought in, though. I have faith something will get worked out. 💙🩵
Really feel for you guys. Mother nature has no regard for humanity and our efforts. To see Grindivick swallowed up and disappear would devastating mentally. So stay strong people.
Many thanks from Iceland
Watching from Alberta Canada. I wonder how the melting of ice on Greenland and thus the rebounding effect of less mass will cause local land rise and fall over the next 100 years will effect the volcanoes of Iceland. I feel it will have some great impacts upon it. Best of luck to the inhabitants of Iceland.
Thank you. Happy Easter.
Happy Easter
I think one of your comments could explain the falloff of tourism: Earthquake activity is increasing all over the peninsula. I would be traveling from the US and my concern is being unable to make the return trip to the airport. I haven't ruled out a trip. I'm just watching and waiting.
Really enjoy your updates. I think they are the best and I appreciate your efforts to keep everyone informed. Nice work!!
I just booked a rental car for 3 weeks this summer with absolutely no intention to cancel unless something really dramatic happens. The current eruption won't keep us away.
Welcome to Iceland and have a great time here :)
Thanks fort sharing Gylfi. I guess March 2nd has widened the plumbing for this eruption. Svartsengi GPS station still shows slight uplift and I guess therefore there's still pressure on the magma to erupt except if the plumbing is getting clogged. Scientists have been comparing these events to Krafla in the 1980's I don't know detauils about that except that it also took a pretty long time before it stopped. Finally I hope tourism doesn't suffer. I had a photo exposition with the photoclub and gave 10 presentations about Iceland with good amount of people interested...
I have been following your post since November last year . I was in Iceland and l was in the Blue Lagoon on the 7th March . Really enjoy your posts .
Hopefully the eruptions won’t damage too much more infrastructure and the surrounding towns. Grindavik will look strange with the huge lava berms surrounding it.
PS - Fondly recall visiting the town many times as I explored the peninsula when I was stationed at Naval Air Station Keflavik in 1979-80
I really hope for the best 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻❤❤❤
Welcome :)
Just returned from a visit to your beautiful country. I did my best to spend and support the economy 😂😂. X
Wonderful 😂
The Reykjenes Peninsula has quite complex geology it’s one of the extensions of the Mid Atlantic Ridge over the land in Iceland. The other is connected perhaps over the center of the hot spot that keeps Iceland growing in the same spot & not drifting like Hawaii.
The Reykjenes has been quiet for a long time but that doesn’t necessary mean it’s going to become a main zone of activity. Other volcanoes along the central belt to the Vestmann Islands have been showing signs of unrest though not Hemay fortunately.
This intrusion may have been trying to erupt in in the mountains but as it filled up the valleys it corked itself. Shield volcanoes often erupt on their flanks and im just taking and educated guess the lower landmass made the breakthrough of a greater amount of pressure building up for the past few years has found a conduit it likes.
Got to hand it to the crews working with hot rocks to keep the berms above the pooling lava. Maybe if the eruption continues at this rate for a while longer taking a page out of the playbook of the Vestmann Islands and use industrial pumps and house to spray water at the lava front putting pressure on the berms. Solidifying the lava close to the berms would take pressure off them hopefully and while I’m not familiar with the topography it seems the lava has a pathway to the sea. Sparring the town if at all possible is key I would imagine with experts getting new data they are advising local and national authorities on what may happen and what can possibly be done.
As for tourism I’ve gotten really interested after seeing so many photos of grass and mossy rocks that Iceland has had a tree planting program since the 1950’s. There’s an old US base on the edge of Reykjavik which has been allowed to grow into a forested park.
was very surprised when I first found out about the 1-3 million trees being planted in Iceland every year. Rebuilding a domestic forestry industry is important for an island. Though Iceland’s has only so much good arable land & more would suffer from desertification from strong winds blowing up weak winter grass roots or the like reforestation becomes a national priority.
Reforesting degraded landscapes by a combination of caring locals with a vested interest, environmentalists looking for areas to replant lost woodland. There’s also the tourist industry there are a number that offer modern amenities like showers and flush toilets in forested rustic campsites with the standard Icelandic scenery of lakes & waterfalls along with forests. There are many high end luxury cabin style resorts with hot springs/tubs & seemingly a variety of services.
Looking at some of these sites and the option to camp in Icelands only National Forest is pretty cool something cool to check out in a country not known for its trees.
Hallormsstaður Forest & Egilsstaðir among a few other things that kept getting wiped off my comment as I wrote it. They’re in the area of the National Forest in the East. Atlavík I pulled up from my search history as one I remember as legit, Höfðavík looked great too, selskógur is nice not super wild but no far from Reykjavik and honestly pretty nice by a lake & forested mountains.
It’s a big hit to Iceland with the Blue Lagoon shut down & Grindavik and evacuated with thousands looking for new places to stay and work. I’m not sure I have the money for a overseas vacation this summer but I’m definitely hyped to come when I can I’ve been looking at prices and it’s just under 500 for round trip from Detroit to Reykjavik. As an avid volcano enthusiast Iceland has always been on my list. $500 round trip flight I can plan for & depending on what I want to sacrifice for I can always get that full experience package Iceland is famous. Or I can do my own thing for or more modest price but and who knows potentially more fun trip, especially when I get home and look at my bills. Lol
We will be arriving in Iceland mid-May. No worries, no concerns just excitement to experience what not everyone gets to. We have been several times and always enjoy the wonderful people, scenery and the food! Iceland has some of the best chefs in the world, in my opinion. I have been fortunate to visit many countries and so far, every meal I have had in Iceland tops all others for flavor. Can hardly wait for our visit in May ❤
Interesting. Thank you. The Netherlands 🍀
Thanks for watching!
I would rather go to the Sky Lagoon than the Blue Lagoon any day! It is so much better and just to the south of Reykjavik and easy to get to! 🌟
You do not want 5 cubic k of boiling magma under your bum do you !
Yes we have some competition on this market now, and thats good...
In the long run, nature will win, at least in geological terms!
Gylfi, what is the feeling of Icelanders towards tourists at the moment? I have wanted to ask for a while but thought it would be in bad taste.
Are tourists welcome? Is it safe?
I have never visited Iceland but have wanted to for a very long time. Also, my daughter is a geography student and very interested in volcanoes. When the eruption first began back in November I thought it might be interesting for us to visit and see the general area (not a close up!) but put it off because I wasn't sure if it was appropriate considering the impact on the people from Grindavik. Now, as time has gone on and with the developments of the last couple of weeks, I feel that the opportunity is gone. Are people still welcome in Reykjavik? Is there a feeling of worry about safety on the peninsula?
On the plus side I haven't seen negative Icelandic news reporting in the press in the northern Midwest of the USA. What I have seen are the outrageous prices airlines are charging for flights. So much so that my Summer trip will be by auto only.
I got this info from a sign in Stokkseri. Pjorsarhraun the greatest lava flow on earth since the last Ice Age. The lava came up in an enormous eruption around 6700 B.C., possibly in Heljargja canyoun in the Veioivotn region, in Icelands highland. The lava was very hot and fluid. It flowed at least 140 kilometers (87 miles) and was only stoped the ice cold waves of the North-Atlantic ocean. The lava is well visible in the skerries outside Stokkseri and Eyrarbakki. The great Pjorsarhraun lava is approx 975 square km (376 sq. miles) Its volume is 25 cubic km 96 cubic miles). It must have been quite a sight. Ben
Yes Þjórsárhraun is one of the wonders of Iceland, I would like to do a video about it but it would be a hard task, lot of filming
In 10,000 years, this channel will be ending with 'Best regards from the volcano continent of Iceland'.
And it will be way cheaper to fly to USA/Europe :)
Thank you Gylfi! You haVe such a great voice! Ever consider doing voiceover work?
Ehhhh.....It's hard enough to do my own :)
i agree. a known and managing that is far better then an unknown and trying to manage that with limited resources.
That's what the human brain is made for - asking questions.
Love all your footage and explanations - thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Your accent sounds a wee bit scottish with dutch thrown in lol! I know it's icelandic but you roll your 'R's' like us scots do1 anyway anothher great bud very informative, keep up the great work!
Don’t mistake the english spoken by dutch people in the region of Amsterdam with the English spoken by dutch in the rest of the country. Around Amsterdam they can’t even speak proper dutch let alone English.
@@palantir135 made me laugh! Thanks I won't make that mistake again loln
I think it sounds more like between Hungarian and Finnish.
We are coming in June 😊
Welcome to Iceland and have a great time :)
With the ground keep uplifting and deflating. Is that good for the stability. I hope it doesn't. Good luck to all involved. And stay safe!!!!
Fingers crossed!
If I had the financial means to travel to Iceland every year I would... Especially now! So many questions. So much to worry about for my Icelandic brothers and sisters. Thank you again for the update and awesome images.
Thanks, lets hop you can do a trip to us, else it's my plan to show you way way more fro my country :)