Iceland review - 2015, Síða 6

4 ICELAND REVIEW
The lava flow produced by the ongoing eruption at
Holuhraun is already the largest the world has
seen in 232 years. The new lava already covers
almost 85 km2; a slightly larger area than the largest
lake in Iceland, Þórisvatn, at 83 km2.
But it still dwarves the Laki eruption from 1783-
1784, which produced the largest lava flow in the
history of mankind.
The Holuhraun eruption started at the end of
August and has been spewing out lava ever since,
yet only very few have been allowed to visit the site:
scientists, photographers and journalists. The longer
it continues, the more pressure there will be from
tour operators and the general public to have the
opportunity to witness the eruption up close and
personal too—even though being there poses real
risks because of the volumes of sulfur dioxide (SO2)
emitted from the craters; not to mention the threat of
another eruption.
For that to happen, the infrastructure in the area
would need improvements. The only road that leads
to the site, F910, is now partly covered by the new
lava. The rest of the stretch is a bad gravel road, a very
bad one, only accessible by large four-wheel-drive
vehicles.
The eruption, in the shadow of the mighty Bárðar-
bunga volcano, could not have occurred in a better—
or worse—place. It’s as far from civilization as
possible; there are no farms or villages nearby. Only
black deserts, the big glacial river Jökulsá á Fjöllum,
lone proud mountains and, of course, the massive
glacier Vatnajökull to the south.
Here, in the middle of nowhere, distances have no
scale. In the middle of Iceland.

Páll Stefánsson
ps@icelandreview.com
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From the
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PHOTO By JóHAnneS BenedIkTSSOn.
Up close and personal with crater Suðri.
COME AND MEET
THE ICELANDIC
HORSE
IN PERSON
HORSE THEATER - RESTAURANT
SHOP - VISIT THE STABLES
ONLY
30 MIN. FROM
REYKJAVIK
At Iceland’s only horse park, Fákasel, visitors can meet the unique
Icelandic horse, either at the stables or the daily horse theatre show.
Daily excursions available from hotels in Reykjavik, contact your
tour desk for further information.
Restaurant serves fresh Icelandic food and
is open daily from 10am to 10pm.
icelandichorsepark.com