Possible Iceland Eruption Threatens Blue Lagoon and Fishing Village: A Geologist's Review
Вставка
- Опубліковано 28 лип 2024
- Geology professor Shawn Willsey provides a Nov 3, 2023 update on the geologic unrest in Iceland and the possible threats to the Blue Lagoon, a nearby power plant, and fishing village.
- Наука та технологія
You can support my videos by clicking on the "Thanks" button just above (right of Like button) or by going here: www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=EWUSLG3GBS5W8
Shawn Willsey, what are your thoughts on @drastrogeotech who thinks these are tectonic quakes, not the result of magma. ua-cam.com/video/CFJZafFTVA8/v-deo.htmlsi=iJhaNq63DLaX4M60
Always helpful.
What's the comparison between similar type volcanic activity and moment of the land mass over the hot spot?
Aloha hugs 🤗 just Iceland said they will not be able to relocate the Town I wonder how many people live there?
We lost a family member during the 2018 eruption of Halemaumau Crater. God Bless Humanity 🙏
Ĥi shawn. Loving all your work. After discovering geology with Nick Zentner YEARS AGO, I've struggled to find anyone else good enough; he's a hard act to follow. But i am loving your style. Im no expert but LOVE it all, esp. these roadside cuts. I do love the geologists of Jackson hole ånd can't believe they only have a few followers. I do like longer vids, though. I'd even be interested in hearing about the latest research. There's nothing you've done, that I've ďisliked. I will give you a thanks but need a car. Me bigging ÿou up and letting the only other person I know that loves geology, where we've even bought roadside geology books for states/areas of the PNW, will have to do for now. Much love and thanks and respect to mr chink chink chink from Elsie in N Devon,UK ❤❤❤
I will do. Next pay day...the cheque Sorry..check, is in the post..ha ha, can you tell im an old git😂
The Just Icelandic channel is also a great place to keep up with Iceland volcano news.
Gylfi's video work is awesom.
Gylfi said he is going to put his new thermal drone up tonight. He's great at visual storytelling.
Where can I find this channel?
I went to the last Iceland eruption, in July, close to the new probably location. The situation by the Village Grindavik and the Blue Lagoon looks serious and the question came up in the media today if it wouldn't be wise to close the Blue Lagoon. No explosion is expected, only lava flow
Super great video, thanks. Been 3 yrs looking iceland volcanoes, but tube-videos didn't tell basics. Great lesson, this shows background and you teach basics about volcsnoes. Thanks You !
Wonderfully done, Shawn. A clear and engaging overview of the current situation, recent occurrences, and their relationship to Iceland's geologic location.
Very informative. Thank you for spending the time to keep us up to date
Great information. I’m just bummed I missed this. I just came home from Iceland mid-October. And I missed the eruption by a few weeks last year when I went. Hope this one steers clear of the Blue Lagoon and the nuclear power plant.
Best clear and informative overview so far! Thank you very much!
While serving at Naval Air Station (NAS) Keflavik during 1979-80, Blue Lagoon was just the waste water pond from the geothermal power and heating district site. You had to walk from a side road, over a lava field to reach the pond. Definitely has been developed over the years.
PS - Hope the next eruption doesn’t destroy any of the developed areas.
Yes, a geothermal pond free for everyone to enjoy for free back in those days. Some say times changes and mankind with it. It is for sure the other way around😊
I was there at the base in 1968 and that area was not yet developed. I still maintain an active interest in Iceland. It certainly will be interesting to see what developes with this situation.
Thank you for the summary, Dr. Willsey. I've been following the situation for the last couple weeks. Let's hope it's like a similar event in 2022 in that area where the magma never made it to the surface.
Of great interest to us as we will be on a cruise to Iceland next year! I will be keeping up with your updates!
Gosh, i take a reading break in a favorite novel series yesterday and miss this big update. Thanks for this video. I've been following Just Icelandic and have been keeping a cautious eye on the area. I like his channel because as a lay person he is trying to follow facts and scientific sources. I've been concerned, so your video today helps me. I'm glad you are letting us know.
Thanks for your coverage Shawn.
I watch Geology Hub YT channel and ran over here to get more info on what is going over in Iceland right now. Thanks for some great information professor.
This is the most informative video I have seen on the subject.
Extremely well done Shawn, I've never seen such a great overview of what's been going on in Iceland these last few years. Is it possible to divert lava flows at all? What if you dug a deep and wide enough ditch, redirecting lava to an area that doesn't have people in it?
Lava has been diverted by spraying it with lots of water before, but it's only worked a few times. Otherwise it's not really worked much. It's very hard to stop a lava flow.
It seems that the most part of the peninsula don't have people - inhabitable.
For the 2021 eruption they actually manage to control in some ways the lava flaw by erecting levees on the sides of the coulee so it would not flow over into the valley near the coastal highway. Look it up. I’ve been lucky enough to go the 3 eruptions, vids on my channel.
Water, ask Icekanders they've done it
Yes, as noted here, there was an effort in the 1973 Eldfell eruption on the island of Heimaey, off the coast of Iceland, to slow the advancing lava from threatening the town's harbor. Pumped seawater was sprayed onto the lava, but with limited success. In Hawaii, diversion of lava or other drastic measures, are frowned upon because the native's mythology is intricately weaved into eruptions and the Goddess Pele.
Thanks so much for this update, I've been watching this closely. I've watched every second of the last 3 Icelandic volcanos. I found your channel on one of the rock pages on Facebook, since I'm obsessed with rocks and have a rock and crystal business. I've binge watched most of your videos 😅
Thanks, this was fun- I actually saw a few volcanoes puffing and also had-puffed in the Aleutians fishing the Bering Sea one Summer, and the ice-and-fire epic is starkly interesting. The deformation data was precise and alarming, as was the fishing village/Blue Lagoon overview-
I'm definitely thinking of you. Blue Lagoon is a big tourist area, family and friends have visited. Thanks for the update Shawn!
This will be heartbreaking. My fave area when I lived in Kefkavik.
Thanks for the info Shawn. I've been watching the Reykjanes area since the 2021 eruptions started and wish I was fit enough, (+ wallet😉), to visit. Gylfi (Just Icelandic), and Hliðarmenn are both up to date with local volcano news. Please keep us posted with the geological stuff. I hope nature finds a suitable minimal damage pathway to the sea, if/when she does chose to erupt. 😷
Thanks for this content. We were actually in the Blue Lagoon Friday during the Earthquake a little after 1 PM. Very surreal ending to our last day in Iceland on this particular trip before heading back to the States.
Wow. What an exciting time to be there. Were folks nervous?
@shawnwillsey My wife and I were a little nervous but many just went along with their leisure enjoyment of the lagoon.
Thanks Shawn...very helpful
That was extremely interesting; understanding the differences to the past and present volcanic situations..thank you!
Very interesting clear presentation.
Thank you.
Nice explanation of a complicated topic. Thank you.
Very educational. I loved my geology classes. Wish you were the teacher. Hope it all goes well.
Sweet addition to my Wilsey Experience
Well done Shawn.
Thanks for this.
Appreciate your analysis.
We love & appreciate your wisdom SIR🥰
That was very interesting - thank you
Excellent. Thank you
Excellent presentation. Good luck to the Icelanders!
Very interesting video with the maps
I just checked the 7-day "all magnitudes" on USGS and there's only one earthquake shown for southwest Iceland and it was a 4.6 on November 02 with none of any magnitude anywhere else in Iceland for that matter. It was in that purple'ish (-20mm) area. Why is USGS not picking up on some of these in Iceland that are above 2.0??? There have been 13 around the Yellowstone area.
The USGS network is skewed toward the US since that is where our seismic network is located. Small quakes can’t be picked up by US seismometers. That is why you don’t see these on the USGS earthquake feed.
USGS is always denying Icelandic earthquakes, its not their working field and as far as I know they recalculate earthquakes abroad from data and the longer the distance the faultier they get with those recalculations. But trust me, they did happen as I felt them. And for Icelandic earthquakes you better follow the Icelandic Meteo Office, they get data straight from the hundreds of seismographs dotted around the country without need to recalculate and come up with mistakes.
Interesting Shawn, I was able to find photos on Google Earth for the 2023 eruption.
Even though they are on different systems, Kilauea and Iceland seem to go back and forth with eruptions. One quiets down and the other starts to ramp up...
Sorta like my digestive system.
GREAT SHAWN
Someday I will visit a volcano that is erupting, lava. It has to be amazing to watch.
Thanks!
Excellent video, i'm no expert in any way, but very informative/educational.
Thank you.
thanks brother ❤🙏
There was an earthquake swarm recently, about 10,000 quakes, but the real eyeopener is the uplift. Earthquakes are pretty common, uplifting is not.
Where do you think the city could rebuild if it takes out the fishing village, where they would be much safer from this kind again??? A geothermal power plant can be rebuilt fairly quickly and they are electronically monitored so little needs to be spent on the plant itself until it begins to age. I hope and pray it missing the town. Please keep us updated. I’m in fear for the animals! How on earth could they leave them to die???? That’s completely inhumane!! We had minutes to evacuate from the Woosley fire in So Cal and the first thing I did was get my 3 dogs on their leashes and into the car. Then I Put my bird in her small cage and put her in the car. I already had a ton of water bottles in my car and my purse. I grabbed my safe and took out my referee gear and threw it into the garage. It was replaceable. So I had room for the water bottles, dog food and dog bowls and 8 threw a few blankets in the back bc it was getting pretty cold at night (yes even for So Cal!). I had computer/electronics and then we we could see the fire down the street so we left. I asked a cop where the shelter was and he said, “There is no shelter!” I said, “then how do we get out of here?” He said, “ you cant. I don’t know what to tell you then!” A friend texted me just then and told me to come down to the Vons parking lot and she would find me. She did and I saw other friends as well. The police really dropped the ball on this one. They had plenty of time to evacuate but they waited until we had minutes. Many many neighborhoods never got evacuated so there were plenty of resources but they failed us, a small town and with every road closed we had nowhere to go. I git no sleep as I was taking my dogs out every hour and by morning I left the grocery store parking lot but they wouldn’t let us back into our neighborhood. It was 3 days total before we came back. No damage for me but the smell of
Smoke took weeks of airing out. It makes me sick to think that anyone could leave their animals to die an horrible death! My kids are grown with families of their own and my animals ARE my family! Please everyone, no matter what!!!! I beg of you! Thank you all!!!
Interesting, thanks.
The North-South axis was pretty stable but I see some steady Westward creep a little bit before the plate zagged to the east at uplift - is that at all statistically significant?
Don't think so. Just the direction the GPS station shifted due to uplift and some lateral movement as intrusion shifts land slightly.
@@shawnwillsey Ah, that makes sense. Thank you!
Do I recall correctly that there are in fact some daceite and rhyolite flows and domes in Iceland? Probably then there have been explosive eruptions that werent primarily about basaltic magama/water interactions?
Yes, other rock types exist so not all eruptions are basaltic, although something like 90% of all Iceland's eruptions have been. The rhyolite eruptions were more inland. The area featured in the video has been all basalt. And yes, some eruptions were phreatomagmatic involving water and or glacial ice.
Great summary Shawn. Thanks for the 'alert'. Will you be heading back out to Iceland if the eruption does happen?
Not planning on it currently. As noted, getting there and living is quite costly.
@@shawnwillseynot to mention winter is starting in Iceland. So not like a nice summer tourist eruption.
Question re the daily fluctuations vertical chart iirc thought I saw a show from the west of briton borth of Cornwall in the Bristol area that have huge tides. I beleave the show said the high tide depressed the coat about 6 inches twice a day is this possible? Thankyou
Hmm. Not sure how the tides would affect these inland areas but interesting idea.
10:10 The daily movements are Earth tides not solar heating.
Thanks Shawn.
Hi Shawn, great video! I'm flying to Iceland 1st-6th of December but have something I can't miss back home on the 7th. Your scenario of lava moving Northeast to the airport sounds unlikely so I don't think I should be too worried on that front. Is there any situation in which ash could be involved in these situations and recreate something akin to the Eyjafjallajökull?
Thanks very much,
Dan
Dan. Enjoy your trip and don’t cancel. The eruption (if it occurs) would be very localized near blue lagoon and Grindavik. Airport will be fine along with rest of country. Little to no ash produced. I’m jealous!
Dear Shawn,
Really appreciate your response! I actually saw your most recent video and felt reassured. Just forgot to follow this one up by saying that. Should be a few days to remember.
Thanks,
Dan
The old ferry steps by Lendal bridge
pronounced RAKE-yu-ness (reyk: smoke; ness: peninsula, nose); stress pattern like Reykjavik, stess on 1st syllable
Yes, thank you. I try hard to get it right but the language is difficult for me.
Thanks for doing this. Is this a bad time to go to Iceland? We have a trip coming up in 3 days... wondering if we should cancel. Would deeply appreciate hearing your thoughts on this... and from other viewers too.
No I’d still go. Maybe you’ll be able to see something. There’s an equally good chance that it doesn’t erupt at all or for a while.
Thank you! @@shawnwillsey
I would be very careful about going to the Blue Lagoon though. Keep up with the news carefully to see if the alert gets higher because if the magma accumulation gets closer to the surface it could suddenly heat up the water and it could potentially boil people alive even before the eruption starts. They are monitoring the situation very carefully but they might not get enough signs to be able to anticipate this. If you can go to any other hot pools in iceland I would highly recommend skipping the blue lagoon for another place (I’d recommend myvatn lake). My friends in Iceland are not even driving down to the reykjanes peninsula these days…
Thank you!! I appreciate the warning and the alternative to Blue Lagoon. @@giuliadenobili5334
Great, you're interested in this. I followed it daily when it started the first year, and just LOVE the icelandic sense of humour, directness, just say it how it is, so refreshing from UK. youtube channel Gutntog has incredible drone footage. But agree just icelandic is awesome
What sort of faulting do they have in that area?
Mainly normal faults and strike slip faults.
My daughter and I plan to visit Iceland 11/12-11/18. Should we still go?
Sure. You might get to see part of the eruption.
What about the status of the Campi Flegrei?
It's showing some elevated signals but nothing that suggests an eruption is likely or imminent any time soon.
Thanks a lot for your reply!@@shawnwillsey
I have reservations at blue lagoon December 1 ! Hopefully it won’t turn into a crab. Boil 🥺🙃
In the worst case scenario u will be at Red Lagoon.
Should I cancel my trip to Iceland in two weeks?
I’d still go. Maybe you’ll see something.
I live in Iceland and for the first time it seems the people here start to slightly panic about the possibility of it now not being a friendly eruption next. We still live with the day though but behind the scenes Im sure they work on solution to house the people of Grindavik in case it has to be evacuated. For this time of year lucky when its not peak tourist season. But if Keflavik has to be evacuated the problem is way bigger. But yeah they knew when they started to build on Reykjanes that there was a risk. But no one believed Reykjanes would wake up this soon. Until few years ago it was common believe Reykjanes would keep quiet for hundreds or maybe thousand more years. But knowing it is an active rift that was just wishful thinking. We can only wait and see what future holds for Iceland. Im not too optimistic though, this might be an event Iceland hasnt been gone through since Laki.
Thanks for this local information. As I've be following as best I can from far away I've had concerns about what this eruption could mean for the people living close by. I do hope you will continue to share with us.
Damn! I was going to Iceland in two weeks, after reading it I think I will cancel my trip lol.
@@truthseeker9692 I dont think there is need to cancel, Iceland is big and life will go on in the rest of the country. You may encounter problems if the airport is getting into danger, but 3 other airports have been 'upgraded' and can handle international flights though maybe not the bigger planes (bigger than 757) because their runways are too short.
I honestly doubt there's going to be an eruption. Sure, all the signs are there that there could be an eruption. However, the magma has stayed at roughly 4 km for several days now. Magma is still collecting in the area, there's still uplift and seismic activity, but magma hasn't moved upward for several days now. Seems highly likely that this intrusion is going to fail like the previous ones in this area.
You could be right. Magma intrusion is sometimes episodic like this where it moves up, stagnates for a while, then a new batch intrudes, etc.
@@shawnwillsey That's what I'm kinda thinking with the previous 4 intrusions. They all occurred in roughly the same area, right? So if they're connected it could possibly explain why this one hasn't reached the surface yet. Or the intrusions got into a weak zone in the rock at that depth, joined together and now need a certain pressure before the magma can erupt.
I could be wrong though.
Is it safe to still go to the blue lagoon?
That`s what I would like to know. Is it safe to go to Reykjavik as well?
I would not change my travel plans. If anything, you might get to see some of the eruption which is a huge bonus.
I love your videos, find them so fascinating. You cover so many areas of our world. I have a topic that you might comment on and that is the rapid movement of the magnetic north pole . It's movement was so slow for hundreds of years and it started to increase back in the 1980s and really sped up since 2000. I have read that geologists say this is caused by increased magma flow under the surface, in the area. Could you comment on this theory, and do you think it could be contributing to our climate change? I would love to hear your ideas on this Thanks.
The movement of the Earth's magnetic pole has no effect on climate. climate.nasa.gov/explore/ask-nasa-climate/3104/flip-flop-why-variations-in-earths-magnetic-field-arent-causing-todays-climate-change/
Great article, thanks. Interesting reading. I still question why the North pole is rapidly moving, bit Antarctica is relatively stationary. Do you think the artic movement is caused by magma movement?@@shawnwillsey
Yes. Finally a grand event🎉. It will not come from your favorite volcano… Campi flegrei?
And you were right
It’s gonna be very violent
Actually no. Most likely to erupt lava and nonexplosive.
Unlikely unless water is involved. Effusive or lava eruptions are usually gentle, like the ones from 2021 to 2023 here on the Reykjanes Peninsula. If the magma or lava comes into contact with water, especially in a confined space, then it can become explosive since the heat from the magma/lava would cause the water to flashboil to steam.
1741 Earthquakes in 48 Hours , Keeping Grindavik in Prayer , .
Yeah I've seen it there on the spew it looks amazing... You can't say the name of that mountain.. you can't say it three times fast😂
,,,....land o' lakes,,,wi...here,,,,...for news & class.................tnx.
❤❤❤
Between this one in slow motion and western Nepal, l imagine you're busy "geologizing"⁉️
Lidenbrock? Lidenbrock where are you?? Let’s go!!!
The Earth Pimple is about to pop!
I think there will be many nightshifts for the bulldozers in the near future.
too cute to be a geologist.
It appears. LOL
News item video. Hmm.. LOL
Pronounced REYkjanes
Hmmm.... you seem to be developing a groupie following, having eyed a few of the comments here. "Too cute to be a geologist?" They obviously never met Erin Donaghy or Hannah Shamloo. Heart emojis? (what da hell....) 🙄
We've been sucked into the PC vortex -- there's sexist, ageist, misandrist, misogynist, geologist.... An unfortunate turn of events. But I guess there are worse responses than "too cute to be a geologist."
Let's not pray! Seriously, Americans have that hope praying works, it does NOT.
Just used it as an expression.
You must be fun at parties
🥰😃💯👍👍🌋