Vestmannaeyjar: The Westman Islands

On Thursday I decided that I had had enough of mainland Iceland. I was enjoying the country and small trips outside Reykjavik, but something deep down was egging me to go one step further. So I did a little research and came to the conclusion that the Westman Islands would be just as good a place to visit as any. As I began booking my 2 day excursion to the secluded island, I ran into a bit of a problem (and when I say a bit of a problem I mean a brick wall). There were two ferry ports that transported people from the mainland to the island and the ports were two hours apart from each other. That was all fine and dandy until I realized their schedules were based solely on the weather and that only one port operated at a time. This meant that at any moment the departure town could change along with the scheduled time. I found it difficult to wrap my head around this concept and continued to question whether or not this trip would be worth it.

When the time finally came for me to get that show on the road, I was shuffled awkwardly from bus to bus by various drivers, whom none of which actually knew which port to go to. Assuming they knew what was what, I boarded the first bus, took my seat, and hoped like hell I was going to the right place. When the bus rolled to a stop in front of a congested ferry terminal, I was able to rest easy knowing I had made it.

Heimaey, the largest of the Westmand Islands, was one of my favorite places in Iceland. I spent two days strolling along the cliff edges and listening to the water splash against the shore. The air was so fresh and cool that I felt more awake wandering through pastures and spotting puffins than I had in ages. Determined to hike one of the island's volcanoes, I challenged Eldfell. Half an hour into the trek and half way up the side of the volcano, I began slowly sliding downwards. The volcanic rock beneath my feet was so fragile that it kept chipping into tiny flakes and would shift with every step. I struggled at first, scared of losing my footing and tumbling down into the canyon, and then shifted gears and made a mad dash for the top. With the wind whipping my hair around in a mad frenzy and the sun's last rays seeping through my flannel shirt, I ignored the groans from my calves and pushed my body forwards. Once having crested the summit, I was able to take in the tiny community below, the ferry port to the West, and all of the tiny islands that bobbed along the coast with a breath of achievement. But there was something strange about being on top of this volcano that I couldn't put my finger on. It wasn't until I strained my ears that I was able to pin point what it was. Silence. It was just me, the sea, and a very steep hike back.

Eyjafjallajökull: A.K.A The Icelandic Volcano that Erupted

Living in a place like Iceland can have its setbacks. From ferry schedules based solely on weather forecasts to freak snow storms that hinder road transport, Icelandic people have seen it all. But in 2010 not only the residents of Iceland were affected by the eruption of one of the country’s most active volcanoes.

Located on the Southern tip of the island, Eyjafjallajökull, pronounced Eh-ya-fyat-la-yuh-cuttle, released a violent cloud of volcanic ash that hovered South East along the jet stream bringing air traffic to a halt for weeks; the greatest disturbance in air traffic since WW II. Nearly 500 local farmers and their families were evacuated from the site, and thousands of travels throughout Europe were left stranded.

Ever wonder how a volcano erupts and why?

A volcanic eruption is the change in volume and density of molten rock. Deep below the funnel of a volcano is a series of channels and layers of sediment. Depending on the rock and its proximity to higher temperatures, it will melt into magma. Magma, being less dense than the rock surrounding it, floats towards the surface and is encapsulated into little magma chambers. During this rise to the surface, components such as water, sulfur dioxide, and carbon dioxide expand into steam and when they are pressurized in these chambers, causing an eruption.

A new eruption can be caused by the buoyancy of the magma which deciphers how quickly the magma rises and pressure levels of the gases inside the magma.

Eyjafjallajökull was just an inside glance at how powerful our Earth really is. Because when it comes down to man vs nature, we all know who the undefeated champ really is.

Resouces:
www.vulcan.wr.usgs.gov
www.universetoday.com
www.earthmuseum.see.uwa.edu.au