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ash plume
The onset of an eruption in Grímsvötn, Saturday evening 21 May 2011. Photo: Ólafur Sigurjónsson, Forsæti III.

Photos from Grímsvötn eruption

A flight towards Vatnajökull

24.5.2011

An eruption began at Grímsvötn volcano at approximately 17:30 UTC, May 21st 2011. Eruptions in Grímsvötn start as subglacial eruptions, which quickly break the ice cover.

At 21:00 UTC, the eruption plume had risen to an altitude of over 65,000 ft (~20 km). The last eruption in Grímsvötn occurred in November 2004. Grímsvötn is Iceland's most frequently erupting volcano. For further information see Update.

The aerial photos in this article are taken by Ólafur Sigurjónsson in Forsæti III at the onset of eruption, as well as Ásbjörn Eggertsson, and by Árni Sigurðsson meteorolologist a few days later. The last photos are taken by Vilhjálmur Kjartansson technician who went near the eruptive site when activity had diminished.

21 May 2011:

hvítur mökkur í fjarska Ásbjörn Eggertsson, photo taken from Keflavík.

21 May 2011:

gosmökkur Ólafur Sigurjónsson

gosmökkur Ólafur Sigurjónsson

gosmökkur Ólafur Sigurjónsson

24 May 2011:

gosmökkur Árni Sigurðsson

gosmökkur Árni Sigurðsson

gosmökkur Árni Sigurðsson

gosmökkur Árni Sigurðsson

gosmökkur Árni Sigurðsson

gosmökkur Árni Sigurðsson

gosmökkur Árni Sigurðsson

gosmökkur Árni Sigurðsson

gosmökkur Árni Sigurðsson

gosmökkur Árni Sigurðsson

gosmökkur Árni Sigurðsson

gosmökkur Árni Sigurðsson

gosmökkur Árni Sigurðsson

25 May 2011:

Surveillance revealed much ash west and south of Grímsvötn. A few measurements, at locations where the ice was completely covered, gave ash thicknesses varying from 10 to 130 cm.

Vilhjálmur S. Kjartansson: Across Tungnaá river

Vilhjálmur S. Kjartansson: Weather station T6 at Tungnaárjökull

Vilhjálmur S. Kjartansson

Vilhjálmur S. Kjartansson

Vilhjálmur S. Kjartansson

Vilhjálmur S. Kjartansson: Surveillance seems to support the conclusion that little or no melt water has been added during this eruptive phase at Grímsvötn







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