Eyjafjallajökull

Eyjafjallajökull is an active stratovolcano with a glaciated summit located in southern Iceland. The name comes from Icelandic elements meaning island, mountain, and glacier, and refers to the volcano and its ice cap. It lies near the south coast, southeast of Reykjavik, and is visible from the Ring Road that circles the country. The volcano sits on the boundary between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates and forms part of Iceland’s active volcanic system.

Eyjafjallajökull has a long eruptive history with eruptions recorded in medieval times and in modern decades. It is covered by the Eyjafjallajökull glacier, and its volcanic activity often interacts with the ice cap. The volcano is monitored by Icelandic and international scientists for seismic activity, ground deformation, gas emissions, and weather conditions.

The 2010 eruption brought it to international attention. In March 2010, a fissure eruption at Fimmvörðuháls produced lava flows above the ice. A subsequent explosive eruption beneath the glacier began in April 2010, releasing large ash plumes that reached European airspace and caused widespread flight cancellations and delays for several weeks. The eruption also generated glacial floods (jökulhlaups) as melting ice produced violent outbursts in nearby rivers.

Since 2010, Eyjafjallajökull has remained active but largely quiescent, with continued monitoring and research to understand subglacial eruptions and their atmospheric impacts. It is a prominent example of how Iceland’s volcanic activity interacts with its ice-covered landscape.