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In 2010 there was that Icelandic volcano that erupted, shutting down flights across Europe.
That same year, and again in 2013, there was Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra.
Then in 2017, based on a study in the journal Geology, NPR predicted that as climate change continued to warm the planet, the seismic activity was only going to increase:
While a relationship between climate and volcanism might seem counterintuitive, it turns out that pressure exerted by thick glaciers on the Earth’s crust — what geologists call “surface loading” — has an impact on the flow of magma below the surface.
What that means is that in the coming years, we might have more scenes like this one to look forward to.
After 6,000 years of dormancy, another Icelandic volcano, Geldingardalsgos, which is situated about 20 miles south of Reykjavik, began to erupt on March 19, 2021.
It was an amazing sight to behold, and photographer Bjorn Steinbekk was there to capture it all.
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According to the BBC:
Iceland sits between two tectonic plates, so eruptions aren’t uncommon, but this is the first in Fagradalsfjall in 900 years. Normally there are around 1,000 tremors a year, but there have been more than 50,000 in the last 3 weeks, the highest number since digital recordings began in 1991.
For some that might seem scary, and local residents certainly tried to take precautions, but for Steinbekk and his trusty drone it was the adventure of a lifetime.
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Steinbekk, who has done drone photography for Icelandair and Promote Iceland, as well as for a documentary about salmon, fishing couldn’t get enough.
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At one point he thought he might even lose his drone to the powerful lava.
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Undeterred, Steinbekk kept going back for more.
Spectators were allowed to come up within a reasonable distance of the erruption, but Steinbekk’s magnificent birdseye footage was truly unique.
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I can honestly say I have never had the opportunity to see anything like this before in my life.
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It gives me a whole new appreciation for drones. And also science.
Did it completely blow your mind? ??
Tell us what you think in the comments!
