Jökull - 01.01.2021, Page 9

The 1918 Katla eruption
Figure 5. Some of the localities where tephra fall was reported are shown by red dots. East of Mýrdalsjökull
the dates refer to tephra fall in Skaftártunga and Síða districts (upper) and in Álftaver and Meðalland districts
(lower). Based on Sveinsson (1919), Jóhannsson (1919), and reports in various newspapers (Ásbjörnsson,
1994). – Helstu staðir og dagsetningar þar sem gjóskufall var skráð frá 12. október til 1. nóvember (rauðir
deplar). Austan Mýrdalsjökuls eru dagsetningar gjóskufalls skráðar saman fyrir Skaftártungu og Síðu (ofar) og
fyrir Álftaver og Meðalland (neðar). Heimildir Gísli Sveinsson (1919), Guðgeir Jóhannsson (1919) og frásagnir
í fréttablöðum og tímaritum (Samantekt Sigurður Ásbjörnsson, 1994).
the 16th and 17th the eruption column was reported as
a “smoke stack” not rising as fast as earlier, dark/black
at the base, light at the top with ash dispersing from
midways up the column. A period of weaker activity,
with scattered minor tephra fall, followed until Octo-
ber 21 (Sveinsson, 1919; Jóhannsson, 1919).
In the late afternoon on October 21, the eruption
gained strength with the lightning and thunder accom-
panying the eruption plume, similar to what was ob-
served on October 12 (day 1). Tephra fall was re-
ported in Skaftártunga, Síða and the district Fljóts-
hverfi further to the east late that evening and contin-
uing until the morning of the 22nd (Sveinsson, 1919).
Around noon on October 22 the plume had become
black of ash higher up than ever before. Its source ap-
peared to be somewhat farther east than earlier in the
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