Tranquil in the morning light but looks can be deceiving. Hekla could be about to open up to people. PIC axelkr
Y ou might know by now that Hekla volcano in Iceland is showing signs of waking to life again after roughly a decade long hibernation. But you probably do not know that it is Hekla and not the more, by now, famous Eyjafjallajokull mountain that is historically the most famous volcano in Iceland and all over Europe in fact.
In reality most eruptions from Hekla mountain for the last decades have been what Icelanders refer to as a “tourist eruption.” Meaning an volcanic eruption too small to make any real difference for anyone local but enough show to make the tourists happy.
But Hekla is deceiving as hell. Fact is, Hekla is probably the most dangerous volcano in Iceland if, and it will, ever goes full throttle. Should this happen the Eyjafjallajokull volcano from 2010, which grounded flights all over the world for weeks, will seem like a Disney movie.
In any case, it is okay to go near the mountain. Located in the South and simple to get to from Reykjavik. Should she, all Icelanders refer to volcanoes as he or she depending on the name, erupt you should be in no danger immediately. Hekla is hardly going to blanket the countryside instantly with fiery hot glowing lava but the amount of ash could be considerable.
As for those afraid of flights grounding and such small matters you should rest easy. Unless it is a major eruption Hekla will hardly affect flights the way Eyjafjallajokull volcano did a couple of years ago.
If interested in volcanoes in general check out this web of the Iceland Institute of Earth Sciences or better yet check out direct webcam from Hekla mountain. Black screen does not indicate fault but more likely it is nighttime here 🙂 If glowing red we have eruption.
As a final note it should be mandatory for visitors from abroad to keep track of local news whenever Hekla or any dormant volcano shows deviations from the norm. Be prepared for everything anytime and you´ll be just fine. Or not.
