Sheepy Dalek – Name that Lava VII!

/ April 20, 2012

Click on image to enlarge. Photographer, Doug Merson.

Last week turned out to be a bit harder than expected. I took a few hours before Henrilerevenant scored the lava, and a few more before Doug Meron took the last two.

The Score is:
3 Diana Barnes
2 Talla
2 Ursula
2 Doug Merson
1 Schteve
1 Jim
1 Luisport
1 Heather B
1 Birgit
1 Jamie
1 Henrilerevenant

This week’s competition

I will award one point for the correct name of the volcanic system, one for the volcano, one point for the eruptive vent, and the final point for the lavas (minimum two correct lava types).

Call for post-texts

I am soon going to become pretty occupied since I will be preparing to move, and also with work. So, if you have a good idea for a blog post, please do not be shy. Who knows, you might become the next Alan.

CARL

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400 thoughts on “Sheepy Dalek – Name that Lava VII!”

  1. Now Carl, promise you will stay calm and not do anything rash my friend, but there’s been a 0.5 bang in the middle of Vatnsfell, 10.9 km deep. Steady…!

    Reply

    • No worries, I am just running around the house celebrating with an ice-cream cone stuck… …to the joy of my neighbours.

      Interesting. at the looks of thing I would have it lamped as a 1,2M

      Reply

    • That is crazy.

      But, still, this is a small eruption with a small explosion. You can risk being close to this one, there is a change of death but also of escaping, because its only one small explosion.

      By no way you could do during one Hekla eruption. It is a larger eruption. The cloud blast would be larger and many more rocks would fall on you, probably killing everyone on the mountain in a matter of mins. The blasts would be continuous. There was a group that came like 1-2km during Eyjafjallajokull eruption. They landed on helicopters and stayed only a few mins. They were on side of the wind, so had some protection, but still on their video many rocks fell around them!

      During Grimsvotn last eruption this would be the impossible to be within 1 km from it. The cloud upwards was truly massive and wide to its sides. You would be engulfed on this hot ash cloud within seconds. We saw it rising from our village here about 100km away, and next day we were in darkness some hours later. But some guys landed on the glacier and also watch it within a few kms away, also on the side of the wind. Just because that.

      Reply

      • This is the close up of Eyjafjallajokull eruption. With people 1km away

        And a close up during Grimsvotn, within ground too, about 1km away too.

        Reply

        • Very interesting video about Eyjó – I didn’t know this one yet. Must have been in the latter stages of his eruption though, in the beginning, I saw it once at night, that the whole of the summit region (diameter of abouit 4 km) was set on fire.

          Reply

  5. Congratulations Henri and Talla.
    I appreciate all the posts very much especially if Hekla is acting up.
    Dean I hope things are going ok for you.

    Reply

          • Talla, Sunny here and warm enough for just a jumper. 😛 OK there are heavy showers too at times. Gotta visit the South Coast methinks.

            Reply

          • I remember England ,grey and rainy was more the norm.I love the tropics they are so bright ,and everything is defined more. The clouds are awesome, especially the thunderstorms, huge towering monsters sometimes. The closest lightning strike to us was about 40 ft away, it made the hair on the back of my neck stand right up, everything went pink, and the sound was incredible.You can swim right from the boat, and see the most fascinating things.Oops sorry, rambling on a bit. Now back to you regular programs. Hekla

            Reply

          • Newby and Hattie! I know I really should get out more! I often feel homesick for the tropics but I also love the British summer – when it arrives. I know I ought to go to the coast more often but the traffic from here makes it really slow. Planning a holiday in Normany at the moment so hope for good weather in June!

            Reply

    • Thanks Hattie their is à little hope NOw ! Fever is going down and bloodpressure too. Very nice of you that you are think of me im very tired but their is hope!

      Reply

      • “World’s Most Dangerous” indeed… When was the last time Popocatetepl had an eruption the size and violence of which if it occured today would pose a similar threat to the good people of Mexico city that Vesuvius or CF do to the Nepolitans? 3700 BC it had a VEI 5 which could possibly be as dangerous as a VEI 2 in the Phlegrean Fields. Strewth!

        Reply

        • The title is wrong. The world most dangerous volcano is Carl’s favourite: Hengill. Erupting in such a big that it will blast the Thingvallavatn and then the entire Iceland, triggering an ice age around the world: the perfect 2012 scenario

          (note to doomers: I am joking of course)

          Reply

          • Nah, that would be Theistareykjarbunga erupting pushing out 200 cubic kilometers of lava during a few year long continous eruption. Of course setting of an Ice-age and heralding a new phase of Large Ignaeous Province Building on Iceland. Next 14 million years would be field with a new continent being born. Let us name it Poleshift. :mrgreen:

            Reply

  8. @ Carl

    Looks a bit like Newberry Caldera, Oregon either looking at Paulina or EastLake.

    I will be wrong no doubt so without getting a “getting warmer” from you, I won’t go into any more details!

    Reply

      • The posted photo is of Newberry Caldera with the obsidian flow in the foreground and Paulina Lake in the background. The lava is obsidian and rhyolite. Photo was taken in mid October 2011 while a week long vacation in the area. There had been about 15 cm of snow a few days earlier, most had melted away. We spent a day hiking around the caldera and nearby areas. I had sent Carl an e-mail earlier on Saturday west coast time while you folks in Europe were counting sheep.

        Reply

        • @ Doug Merson

          Quite something, Doug, both for you and now for all of us to share. Many thanks.

          I only got it right because some savvy person noticed the large obsidian flow which narrowed down the field considerably and then Carl started to “hint”!

          As volcanology is obviously an interest of yours, how did it feel to know what was beneath your feet?!

          Reply

  10. ,http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2012/04/21/estados/032n1est

    ,The activity of the volcano Popocatepetl is reserved prognosis. Although yesterday was relatively calm, the monitoring of the national disaster prevention Center (Cenapred) indicates that it is forming a dome – accumulation of gases – a volume of approximately a million cubic metres, which at some point will have to leave, even if it is not possible to predict how and when, said Roberto Quass, director of the Center.,,

    Reply

  12. Lets hope Hekla behaves herself for a bit, as I am off in search of beter internet. TTFN catch you later.

    Reply

  16. Our father is stabelized à little fever is down but he can still not move his arm and also speaking is à problem but hè can eat fluid drinks we think that is is going a little better gretings from Holland

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      • Yes Judith we are now à little happier only we have cancel our vacation 27 april with The kids and that it is not Nice but it is so

        Reply

    • Oh good Dean. Thank you for letting us know how things are going, remember to take care of yourself also. Hugs.

      Reply

    • It’s good his fever is down and he’s eating – the rest will get better with time. Thanks for keeping us informed. Take care of yourself too.

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    • Hi Dean, thanks for updating us on your father’s condition, a very worrying time for you but it sounds like his body is fighting it well. I am constantly amazed how well stroke victims can recover and also some can do so far more quickly than one expects. The fact he is taking in nourishment, (even if only liquid) is very good news. Sorry to hear about your holiday though and hope you can take the kids places to make up for it.

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      • Yes Newby we another time when everything is normallized . He was à hard working farmer hè was in good condition i think that This is helping him!

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        • Best wishes from me Dean, hope he makes a good recovery, my father had two stokes, and my grandmother also had one, and both recovered well, sounds a positive thing that his fever is down and that he is able to take fluid nourishment…xx

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    • Hey Dean, sorry to hear that, I hope will get better soon. Dad’s been there too, he came out well. Veel oefenen helpt. Pak zijn arm beet en oefen met hem, maak bewegingen en stuur zijn arm. Door meteen veel te gaan oefenen is er een goede kans dat zijn hersenen de functies weer oppakken. Ik hoop dat hij er helemaal goed uitkomt. Houd je goed!!

      Reply

    • @ Dean

      That is good news. He has been very poorly.

      You described your father’s problem originally as a brain attack for which I assume you mean a ‘stroke’.

      My father had one about 15 years ago and is now pretty much “as good as new”.

      Every patient is different but a positive approach is good for all of you’ even if you have to force it. Talking to his doctors will help, too.

      The following link is to The Stroke Association which I hope will help you and your family:

      http://www.stroke.org.uk/information/stroke_rehabilitation/index.html?gclid=CPaM69Hbx68CFUsMtAodczEUYA

      Reply

  18. Dean I am so pleased your father is showing improvement. It is such a worry and so hard to see someone who has been active be so stricken. The loss of speech must be so frustrating. These days much can be done to help this once the patient is out of danger.

    Congratulations Talla and Henri. I just love these Friday sessions : 😀 I get to see and learn more every week.

    Now off to have a gentle cruise round the world and have a look at Popo and Iceland… BBL

    Reply

  19. Dean, so happy to hear that your father is improving. Farmers have always known ups and downs and are strong in mind as well as body. That surely will be a good factor in his recovery. Hugs to you and your family.

    Reply

    • Dean, I agree with Bobbi above, i am sure that as a farmer he has been through many set-backs and has learned to be a fighter. It certainly sounds so. Hugs to you and keep very hopeful as things are certainly looking a little better. Rest while you can..

      Reply

      • Im NOw going to sleep but i must see what news their was. Really a woman hi Yess hè is à fighter! I’m too! Nice evening eyewink

        Reply

    • I could not walk after an bad accident i had à great tumor but i walk again and i’ living i help people who are not so brave to become fighters! Its Nice to be an social worker! So we are going on! Hi and NOw i really going to sleep!

      Reply

    • Since I am on the mood to post videos. This is Hengill, a moderately small volcanol, only 800 meters high, and a crater row type of volcano (almost like Hekla on transition to become a stratosvolcano, but much smaller than Hekla)

      Hengill has a pre-settlement eruption which was similar in amount of lava released to Laki. Krisuvik also did something similar a few thousand years ago. These volcanoes can erupt very large amounts of lava but are only a little explosive.

      Reply

      • Maybe I am going to take this change to present you some videos of Icelandic volcanoes.

        On southwest Iceland, we have 4 volcanoes one after another.
        Reykjanes, Krisuvik, Brennisteinfjoll and Hengill.

        They are all crater row type of volcano, which is a sucession of volcanic cones and mountain ridges almost like a line of mountains. Each following volcano is taller then the previous. Down to each sea side there are plenty of large lava fields (and Reykjavík city as well !).

        Reykjanes volcano is smallest, with only a few 100 meter high cones, close to the famous Blue Lagoon. Some of them are under water, and have erupted on the past.

        Then, follows Krisuvik, another famous friend of us. Just some few kms east of the Reykjanes system. Its a kind of two linear alignment of mountains in one side and in another, with a valley cut in between, an obvious tectonic valley, and a valley which has intense geothermal activity.
        On this valley, there is a lake which you see on the video below. This lake decreased in size a lot since 2000 earthquakes in south Iceland, and in 2011 it was steaming some hot springs, which have now disappeared under the water again.

        Following Krisuvik is Brennisteinfjoll or Bláfjoll, which are Reykjavík winter sky mountains (video of the area below). Its lava has flowed into the capital area some centuries ago, when there was no city in there. Nowadays, its a nice area with several volcanic mountains along a linear alignment, which nearly continues into Hengill volcano, which is somewhat higher, that you saw in previous video.

        More to follow…

        Reply

        • This is a video of Brennisteinfjoll volcanic area, one guy doing paragliding, so you can see the whole lava fields around it.
          These volcanoes are nearly always efusive, erupting large amounts of lava, sometimes massive (several cubic kms, almost similar to Laki), but only with little explosive activity.

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          • Are these your vids? Do you have stuff on hverfjall? Seeing the wind direction that blew during the bang and trying to imagine the boom when you stand there is an interesting exercise for the imagination… 🙂

            Reply

          • Hengill is an important spot, because from there the volcano-tectonic linearment continues north but also to the east. Its the so called Tripple Junction.

            If we go eastwards we have Hrómundartindur and Grensdalur, which are small mountain areas with plenty of geothermal activity which had past eruptions, many thousand years ago. Some consider them as independent volcanoes, but they could have been also related to Hengill, which is the only central volcano in the area, and taller than both. It really does not make sense to call every small mountain an independent volcano!

            But here it goes Hrómundartindur, photographed from Hengill which is about 3km to its west http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/25453358.jpg
            And Grensdalur, which is also a couple kms southeast from Hengill

            The pic shows a hot river in the area where you can take a lovely bath.

            But now I go north of Hengill rather than further east.

            After the last 4 volcanoes, just north of Hengill, we enter the rift valley of Þingvellir, where there is a large lake and very long and tourist-friendly tectonic fissures, a very flat area and contrasting with the volcanic mountains to the south.
            Has fissures like this http://www.33igc.org/fileshare/Bilder/no_5_almannagja040914_web_350.jpg

            The Þingvallavatn lake is the largest in Iceland and has extremely pure water, because it runs down from a glacier to the north (Langjokull) passing first in lava fields, which filter the water over many years.

            Then, continuing north of this area, we have an area of very large lava eruptions, with no central volcano, such as Skjaldbreiður, a famous shield volcano (with very low slope), that formed over a long and non-stop eruption lasting around 100 years and releasing more lava than Laki.
            This is our friend Skjaldbreiður http://farm1.static.flickr.com/219/504300814_d42774eaed.jpg

            Continuing north we have the more rarely active Langjokull volcanoes. If Krisuvik or Bláfjoll have erupted about every 1000 years (and when they erupt, they erupt on and off for a few centuries, last time between 950 to 1350), the Langjokull volcanoes erupted even more seldom, like only a few times during Holocene. So, keep in mind how long have these volcanoes been sleeping. Krisuvik about 700 years, Hengill 2000 years and Langjokull about 4000 years.

            In Langjokull, there is a large glacier there, and as far as it is known at least two large central volcanoes. Several large lava eruptions have happened there (again think Laki-size). The ice cap is like this, with volcanoes underneath

            Little is known about these two central volcanoes, Prestahnukur to the south, and Hveravellir to the north, and plenty of other volcanic mountains, some perhaps still not extinct.

            Outside the glacier, there are many lava fields, which indicate recent (geologically speaking) activity. To the west, northwest, south and east of Langjokull,
            And you can take a bath in places like this

            At this point, the volcanic rift seems to end, although it also connects further east to the Hofsjokull central volcano, a large one, and to the west to the Snaefellsnes volcanic belt, which is very old but still active.

            As I am too tired, I must go sleeping now, but I will continue my presentation of Icelandic volcanoes.

            This comment landed in the spam box because it had too many links. Rescued by Spica

            Reply

          • No, not my videos. They are random youtube videos.

            I am not too good in making videos. But my trouble is actually having the patience to update them. I will continue the volcanic stories tomorrow.

            Reply

          • Great explanation, Irpsit!
            Many thanks.
            Makes me wonder what makes you call a volcano a volcano: the chamber? the conduit? the type of magma? (since it is not the shape or the vent…)

            Reply

          • @GeoLoco
            I didn’t find many videos on Hverfjall, but this one could be interesting – though rather old (1972 – they didn’t identify it as a tuff cone by then, it seems, and the quality is hmhm …) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtwvoViQECo

            What is interesting also is that the crater row Jardbadshólar is steaming vigorously in the background – and this was taken before the eruption series started in 1975!

            There are interesting photos though on wikimedia commons like this one File:Aerial View of Hverfjall 21.05.2008 15-26-00.JPG

            Reply

        • @ Irpsit

          Wonderful!

          Thanks so much for all this/these.

          I hope you will put it all together so it goes in here as a proper post and will therefore not run the risk of getting overlooked because it could get lost amongst so many comments.( I believe Carl said it would be “lovely” to do that and he hoped for some such.)

          Too good not to.

          Thanks for sharing!

          Reply

        • Thank you so much for these videos, Irpsit. I’ve spent a wonderful morning amidst the volcanoes of Iceland! 🙂

          Reply

        • To be super-exact here there are actually 6 inline volcanoes. From west to east:
          Reykjanes (sub-aquatic), Svartsengi (the first sub-aerial, normaly misnamed Reykjanes), Krisuvik, Brennisteinsfjöll, Hengill and Hromundartinur. The last one is very small, and have not erupted for a long time, but it is judged as active since it has had at least one root-filling of magma during the last 15 years.

          Reply

          • Re. Svartsengi, it depends, like with Hrómundartindur and Hengill. Some scientists think it being part of Reykjanes system (eg. Thor Thordarson, “Classic geology in Europe 3. Iceland”, Harpenden 2002, p. 14), some that it would be a system on its own.

            There is also like Irspit says, a small volcanic system called Grensdalur, which has hot spring areas eg. in the town of Hveragerdi, is part of the Triple Junction, and sometimes seen as part of the Hengill system. It is an active volcanic system with a high temperature area in the middle of the small town and another that has been reactivated after the heavy earthquakes in the summer of 2008.
            Ca. 10 days after the quake (the area had been an dried out old high temperature area before, with just some hot springs on the other side of the small river): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-QWjJPkZvc

            And the same area in June 2010: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfkUt4wWWMA

            Reply

      • Holiday memories…
        Have money and a bit of time? Visit Iceland! This is just the spot on earth one should have seen. I get nervous every time I see pictures of it. Just there I feel calm like I never felt anywhere else. Pure madness.

        Reply

        • I think it is not madness, or if it is, it’s shared by many people ….

          What is so good about Icelandic landscapes is that relative remoteness of a lot of them and that the country is in many places not or anyway not very densely populated and you have this feeling of pureness, of an untouched landscape not spilled in any way and of a big horizon – because there is not a lot of trees. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hekla_2004.jpg 🙂

          Reply

  24. 3 small quakes south of Hengill.

    Saturday
    21.04.2012 22:02:08 63.905 -21.508 10.5 km 0.8 61.56 6.7 km SW of Raufarhólshellir
    Saturday
    21.04.2012 22:02:07 64.071 -21.411 1.1 km 0.6 90.01 3.8 km N of Hellisheiðarvirkjun
    Saturday
    21.04.2012 22:01:04 64.057 -21.418 4.0 km 1.1 90.02 2.4 km NNW of Hellisheiðarvirkjun

    Reply

  28. Just popped in for a glass of red wine.

    Wow, I have missed a busy day! Congratulations to Henri and Talla again for the right answers. Apologies to Doug for any confusion caused by my linking to an anonymous picture of the Obsidian Tower at Newberry. But I did get lamb with peas and mint sauce for lunch (yummy).

    Reply

    • Alternate send method used.

      If you get four copies of it (2 per Email), toss out the one(s) you don’t want… they are all identical.

      Reply

    • BTW… I really didn’t want to go through that plot work up again… but it was worth it. It actually gave me a line on another set of ruminating that had come up from the work on it about 2 years ago.

      Plus, my skill set was a bit more honed. Over all, I like the way it turned out. :D.

      Reply

    • I guess it’s just me being me… I added to that article… possibly a part 2, but it’s really more along the lines of a continuation of the original.

      I can guarantee that it will piss a few off… but not the sane people. They may like it.

      (or fall asleep)

      Reply

      • I have them from the new send version.
        I am going to put it in later today 🙂

        This will be the end of all loonie-mooning.
        Spica, is there some way we could make this one stand out in the galleries, like so that we have quick access to it to slam dunk anyone going moonie on us?

        Reply

          • Tables should be avoided to style something, according to W3C current rules. It makes for compliance errors.

            This being said… I am often the first one to break it when I work on code !

            Reply

        • Or we could add a new menu point, if you can come up with a name for it it would take me less than a minute to do it. Just let me what you prefer.

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    • These are probably in response to water injection at the geothermal plant at Hengil. If so they may disappear in a day or two.

      Reply

      • I think it highly improbable that heavy earthquakes and volcanic eruptions can happen at the same time – though, caveat, I am no geologist … 🙂

        Reply

        • It is very likely even…
          If you have heavy earthquaking close by or in a volcanic system it can trigger a massive gas-release episode… And then follows my favourite word.
          Boom

          Reply

          • That could make for a good plot for a(nother) volcano movie. Precursor tremors are “missed” because of a geothermal plant neary that obfuscate the real ones in the plot, and then boom.
            Is it plausible, or real volcanic tremors’ signatures differ from human activity?

            Reply

          • Normaly they would not be hard to differentiate, but since they are pumping in slack water there could very well be a resemblance.
            But the main issue is the noise they are creating, that noise could very well mask any magmatic injections. And, the water pressed in as they frack the bedrock could actually also be mistaken as the cause for the inflation.

            Reply

  34. Adding this to the end as well as reply further up the list.

    The posted photo is of Newberry Caldera with the obsidian flow in the foreground and Paulina Lake in the background. The lava is obsidian and rhyolite. Photo was taken in mid October 2011 while a week long vacation in the area. There had been about 15 cm of snow a few days earlier, most had melted away. We spent a day hiking around the caldera and nearby areas. I had sent Carl an e-mail earlier on Saturday west coast time while you folks in Europe were counting sheep.

    Reply

    • Hehe! This will be fun to watch!

      (Memo to self: When looking at Doug’s phots of minerals, don’t trust the captions. 😛 )

      Reply

      • Caveat, do not trust that A) I am not confused, or B) that Gmail have not horked up things, or C) A combination of both.

        After looking like a maniac for the other pic and the other caption, well, it is just not there in my mail-box. So I tentatively blame Gmail. (I might though have touched something I should not have touched, codiot you know).

        Reply

  36. How about a blog article on the young & emerging rift valleys of the world? And which ones are expected to succeed or fail? and their projected ‘outcomes’ – new oceans, volcanic ranges etc.
    Could include examples such as Europe’s Graben rift, basin and range, great rift valley and other obscure ones?

    Reply

    • The only odd balls ones that I know of are the New Madrid, the Mid Continental Rift that cuts down through Lake Superior, Walker Lane (part of Basin and Range) and the Rio Grande Rift…

      Of course, there are others, but I haven’t read much on them.

      Reply

    • Oh my…
      That is beyond me really. I wish I could do a couple of articles on that, but I am not really a rift-master.
      But, if anyone feel up to doing a couple I would love to put them in.

      Reply

    • I hate that they call it the worlds riskiest Volcano.
      It is not, not even by a long-shot.
      Campi Phlegrei, Toba, and whole load of Indonesian, Philippinian, and Sumatran Volcanoes are worse. There are also a couple of Japanese ones that gives me the heebies. Popocatepetl is nothing really.

      Reply

      • Yeah but the map was nice, even though it is from 2001, i dont think the surroundings changed much since then.

        Reply

        • Yes, the map was nice. It is just saying that it is the riskiest volcano I have something against.
          Oh, and I forgot Uturunca…

          Reply

        • The reason why they do this is the same as the “logic” behind the use of “Caps Lock” when posting on messageboards.

          Reply

  39. The earthquake count in iceland is now at 101. I took 2 screenshots when the measels case was bad. ( In case you need that Carl)
    Etna seems to have decided to sleep in a little longer. The tremor went down again http://www.ct.ingv.it/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=201&lang=it There was a glow in the first cam on http://www.ct.ingv.it/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=201&lang=it for hours and an occasional puff of ash, but nothing dramatic.

    Reply

  40. Good Morning from another wet, grey day in Northern England.
    Very OT…………… This clip reminds me of my days visiting my son in London……..I always visit places that have a free entry. I identify with these ladies. 😀

    Reply

  41. Hello!
    Due to something I can not even understand how it happened there was a mix-up in the mail that Doug sent to me. (I tentatively blame Google-mail)
    He sent me two pictures, and two texts of what they where. Problem is that in my mail I only see one picture and one text. Sadly they where not related.

    I am terribly sorry about this.

    I am going to go back and check for the first answer of Newberry and the first answer for obsidian.

    I am terribly sorry for this. I will most likely never understand how this happened.
    Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.

    Reply

    • I think it is ukviggen for obsidian and hattie for the rest. Well done.

      But hey – I got one right, even if far from being the first! 😀

      Reply

  44. And just to make it clear.
    Hattie 1 point for Newberry, and 1 point for location of eruption.
    Ukviggen 1 point for lava.

    Again;
    Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa for the confusion.

    Reply

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