I haven’t posted this yet – have I??!
BBC online cause some trouble on Friday when they published an article about a potentially imminent eruption of the volcano Katla in Iceland and its possible consequences. Katla usually erupts once in 40-80 years and currently she’s long overdue. Moreover Katla’s and last year’s famous Eyjafjallajökull’s subterranean volcanic systems are connected and Katla usually errupts 6 – 18 months after Eyjafjalla does. Currently her seismic activities seem to become more and more intense, but this doesn’t mean that there HAD to be an eruption within the next few days. Katla’s eruptions are much heavier than “E”’s and that’s also what the BBC article suggests. They even picture the scenario of the Laki eruptions of 1783 which caused climate change and famines all over Europe for a year. But the point is that no one really knows.
Why am I telling you this? Don’t know, I’ve been going to write about my trip to Iceland last year ever since I started blogging and this just inspired me to another picture posting. But I also wanted to share my thoughts about that little village called Vik which will most likely be heavily affected by the eruption. Katla is covered by meters of ice which will melt and come crashing down towards the ocean. Thereby probably erasing Vik. Iceland is a highly modern country and so the 300 inhabitants of that “town” will get a warning via short message. But how does it feel when you’re literally living on the volcano?? Knowing that your everything and possibly also yourself and your family is in an immanent danger of being swept away?? I’ve got no idea but it only strengthens my point of view that Icelandic people are simply the coolest people on this planet. I’m not cool and have to admit that I was monitoring whether there’d be lots of cars approaching us, looking as if they were on the run, while we crossed the volcano area.
When I took the picture we just had a short stop in Vik (paused a little longer on the way back) and my friend who was driving then, preferred having a coffee, so that I went to the beach all by myself. What a unique place!! The black lava sand, heavy sea, upcoming fog and finally that strange rock formation deeply moved and seriously scared me! The rocks are said to be petrified trolls, btw.
I’m really going to tell you more about Iceland, one of my most “intense” journeys ever! I just hope that studying and Christmas preparations won’t take up all my time…
it sounds like a marvellous trip, can't wait to hear more about it. and of course made more poignant by potential disaster.
ReplyDeleteyour photo is beautiful.