Volcano in Iceland erupts: Why is the country so volcanically active?
Iceland sits on a geologic hotspot, making it a frequent site for eruptions.
A recent eruption near Reykjavik forced evacuations.
Iceland experiences eruptions every 4-5 years on average, but since 2021, eruptions have become more frequent.
Volcano Basics
Volcanoes are openings in the Earth's crust that spew lava, ash, and steam.
They can be found on land or underwater.
Magma, molten rock underground, erupts as lava when it reaches the surface.
How Volcanoes Form
Magma rises due to tectonic plate movement or hotspots.
Plates moving apart create space for magma to fill in, sometimes forming underwater volcanoes.
Colliding plates force crustal material to melt and rise as magma.
Hotspots heat magma, causing it to rise due to decreased density.
Types of Volcanoes
The type depends on factors like magma viscosity, gas content, composition, and eruption path.
Stratovolcanoes are steep and cone-shaped.
Shield volcanoes are low-profile and resemble a shield.
Why is Iceland so volcanically active?
There are two reasons for this: -
One, Iceland sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (part of the longest mountain range in the world) in the North Atlantic Ocean, where the Eurasian and North American plates are moving apart a few centimetres every year.
2. Two, the island sits over a hot zone (or hotspot, as mentioned before), which leads to enhanced volcanic activity in the region. Volcano in Iceland erupts
Volcano in Iceland erupts
Volcano in Iceland erupts
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