Náttúrufræðingurinn - 1965, Qupperneq 28

74
NÁTTÚRUFRÆÐINGURINN
and containing a geographical description o[ Iceland. This eruption in all
probability was on the Reykjanes ridge and so was with certainty the oldest
submarine eruption nientioned in Icelandic sources. That eruption occurred
iu 1211, coinciding with great earthquakes. In old annals Sörli Kolsson is said
to have discovered the new Eldeyjar (Islands of fire) tliat year, whereas the old
ones disappeared from tlie spot where they had always been. This indicates
tliat there was volcanic activity in this area long before 1211. Eruptions
occurred southwest of Reykjanes in 1226/27, 1231, 1238, 1422, 1783, 1830
and 1879, probably also in 1240 and 1583 and possibly about 1340 and in
1884. Three ol these ernptions are known to have built up islands, viz. the 1211
eruption (more than one island), the 1422 eruption antl the eruption in 1783.
The only one of these islands describecl by eyewitnesses is the island observecl
for the lirst time May 3rd, 1783 by captain Mindelberg and liis crew of the
Danish brig Boesand. The captain drew a sketcli of the island (Fig. 4). The
island reached a diameter of al least 0,9 km. Tlie Danish Government
showed a great interest in this island wliicli rcceived the name Nýey (Nyöe)
: Ncw Island. A royal decree was aroused as to the eflect that an expedition
sliöuld be sent to the island to hoist the Danish flag and set up a 3 ells high
stone inscribed witli the royal insignia. The stone never found its way to the
island sirnply because the island could not be found in the autumn of 1783.
In early June 1926 fisherman on the fishing vessel Bragi from Njardvik
observed signs of submarine ernption short northeast of Eldey. 'l'he sea was
first bubbling and later spouting and dead fishes floated up. These arc the
last signs of volcanic activity observed on the Reykjanes ridge.
Submarine eruptions have also occurred off the north eoast. To quote
a contemporary annal of 1332: ”... frorn the F'ljót and from many other
districts in the North of Iceland a new island was seen to have emerged to
the northwest of Grímsey". On a Dutcli map of 1507, made by Johannes
Ruysch, an island is indicated between Iceland and Greenland togethcr with
the following rernark: ”This island was ablaze in 1456“. Jan Mayen may
possibly be the island referred to.
In 1755 there seems to have been an eruption somewhere north of Iceland,
but the position is unknown and again it may possibly liave been Jan Mayen.
At thc end of 1867 and in January 1868 thcre was definitely a submarine erup-
tion off Tjörnes, a short distance to the north of Mánáreyjar.
()n Bishop Thórdur Thorláksson’s map of the North Atlandc of 1669
there ís an island located (juite a long way to the southwest of Iceland and this
island is said to have been seen by Spanish sailors in 1613. We liave no otlier
knowledge of tliis island. It may liave been on the Reykjanes ridge.
Tliere is some evidence of volcanic activity sliort to the south of the Vest-
mann Islands in September 1896, sliort after the great earthquakes in South
Iceland, wliieh also affected the Vestmannaeyjar area. These evidences, liow-
ever, are not conclusive of a submarine ernption having really occurred. But
Nov. 14, 1963 it was found out for certain that the submarine fires olf the
Vestmann Islands area were not exlinet.