Jökull - 01.12.2003, Qupperneq 42

Thordarson et al.
Table B: Explosive activity
Date Index Source Quotation
spring
1783
B1 2, p. 58 During this time people [in the Fire districts] often noticed a bluish smoke over the ground, and many thought, as became
evident later on, that it was from a volcanic eruption. Later that spring travellers from Reykjanes told us that the ongoing
submarine eruption at Helgusker southwest of Reykjanes was not the only one. The crew on a brig coming from Denmark
saw a column of fire in the mountains or the glaciers north of us [i.e., the Fire districts], as they passed the southern coast
on their way to Hafnarfjörður. [Thoroddsen (1908–1911) states that the submarine eruption off Reykjanes was seen in early
May 1783 by a crew of a brig that was on its way to Hafnarfjörður in southwestern Iceland. Steingrímsson’s description
implies that it was the same crew that saw the columns of fire above the Fire districts, suggesting an eruption in the area in
early May.]
spring
1783
B2 10, p. 11 ...the water level was unusually high in the Skaftá River and the water dirty and ill-smelling.
8 June B3 1, p. 272 After a period of intensive earthquakes, on 8 June an eldgjá began erupting in the so-called Síða highlands due southwest
of Úlfarsdalur glacier. Volcanic ash and hairy material [Pele’s hair] was dispersed over this district [i.e., Síða] so footprints
marked in it on the third day of the eruption. The heavy rain which fell from the eruption from the fire and smoke columns
that rose from the fissure, which now exposed itself by numerous columns of fire, contained salty and sulfur smelling water
which caused smarting in the eyes and on the skin.
8 June B4 2, p. 58 ...about 9 a.m. a black plume emerged from north, dispersed over Síða so it became dark inside our homes. So much
volcanic ash fell out of the plume, that footprintsmarked in it. The ash resembled the remains of burned coal and contained
glittering hairs that were easily crushed between the fingers. Such an ash fell here many times after that. This plume was
directed away later that day by southerly breeze.
8 June B5 4, p. 8 ...about 9 a.m. a black sand-bearing mist and a plume emerged north of the highest mountains bordering the Síða district,
so big that in a short time it spread over Síða and part of Fljótshverfi. The cloud caused it to be dark inside our homes and so
much volcanic ash fell out of the cloud that footprints marked in the ash deposit. A drizzle that fell from the plume on this
day in Skaftártunga was so laden with ash that it resembled ink. Later that day the plume was kept away by southeasterly
breeze.
8 June B6 3, p. 69 ...a dense ashy plume fell over us, so it became dark inside houses and footprints marked in the deposit. For the next three
days the ash-fall was accompanied by heavy rainfall; and occasionally a strong stench, like in a steamy sulfur mine, was
felt. The rainwater was salty and bitter and the drops felt like hot brine when they fell on bare skin.
8 June B7 5, p. 274 On Whitsunday I first saw a fire column and smoke northeast from my home [Ljótarstaðir in Skaftártunga], but north of
Síða, which were thought to be located within the glacier where Grímsvötn are to be found. ...No ash was observed to fall
here [in Skaftártunga], but in Síða the ash deposit was so thick that footprints marked in it when someone walked over it.
The ash was washed into the ground by the rain that followed the ash-fall.
8 June B8 6, p. 296 Three columns of fire were seen rising up through the darkness from the central part of Síða, or to the north of the farm
Mörtunga that is inland from the farm Prestbakki. [The trace of a line from Prestbakki to Mörtunga is the direction toward
the westernmost craters on the Laki cone row located near Hnúta Mountain, see Figure 2].
8 June B9 9, p. 1 During that time large smoke and steam columns were constantly seen in the wastelands called Síða highlands to the north
of these districts: Síða, Landbrot, Meðalland, Álftaver, NW of Fljótshverfi, but NE of Skaftártunga. There were three
columns of fire of which the westernmost and the northernmost was the largest one. The former one was seen in so called
Úlfarsdalur Valley, just east of Skaftá River gorge according to trustworthy documents; the other two were seen close to
the Hverfisfljót River gorge. These three before mentioned columns of fire, when they were highest, accumulated into one
and reached such height that they were seen from more than 34 miles away [Danish mile = 7532.48 m; distance = 260 km].
Most of the time these fires were screened out of sight by mist and smoke. [This description is a brief summary of the
eruption by S. Hólm. The three columns of fire indicate to the three eruption sites seen from the Fire districts and referred
to as Útnorðursgjá, Landnorðursgjá and Austur-Landnorðursgjá by Steingrímsson].
8 June B10 9, p. 6 On 8 June the before mentioned eruption began ...huge smoke and ash cloud emerged with great force, cracking sounds and
rumbles, carrying an enormous amount of sulfurous material, sand, ash and scoria. Part of the tephra was dispersed over
the pasture and the mountainous wasteland, but another part of it was carried over the rural settlement according to how
the wind was blowing each time. The air was filled with such an amount of sulfurous haze and sandy dust that it was often
impossible to read and write during mid-day. In those districts that where darkened by the sandfall, which partly consisted
of volcanic ash and glowing pumice and partly of ink colored mud-like material and hairs, some of which were rolled up
into small bundles, while others resembled wreaths and those caused the greatest damage. On June 8, the above described
ash deposit was dispersed over Síða and some of the other districts and this recurred number of times. On the third day of
the eruption the columns of fire, which continuously rose from the fissure, were seen clearly as numerous flames and at the
same time strong rumbling and cracking sounds were heard from the same place.
8 June B11 10, p. 13 In the morning of Whitsunday, 8 June, the weather was still calm and bright. But around 9 a.m. a large black plume was
seen rising into the air north of here and spread over the Síða district. This plume was not seen from the farms, aligned
along the east-west trending scarp bordering the Síða district, until it was almost over the district. However a few people
from the Landbrot district on their way to church at Kirkjubæjarklaustur saw many columns of smoke rise up over the
mountains in the north and how they accumulated into one to form the dark sandy plume.
9 June B12 2, p. 58 ...same weather [as on 8 June] with southeasterly breeze, the dark sandy plume was now seen clearly in north above the
mountains.
9 June B13 4, p. 9 ...the plume rose continuously. That night heavy rainfall came down from it.
10 June B14 2, p. 58 ...torrential rain from the plume that now continuously rose higher and higher by the day. The rain water was loaded with
before mentioned sandy ash and hairs, light blue in colour and smelled like a mixture of nitrate and sulfur.
40 JÖKULL No. 53, 2003