The Reykjanes Fires ( Icelandic: Reykjaneseldar) were a series of volcanic eruptions that took place on the Reykjanes Peninsula in south-west Iceland between approximately 1210 and 1240. They caused widespread physical and economic damage, covering large areas of the peninsula in lava and tephra and causing the mass starvation of livestock, as well as a number of deaths of people due to earthquakes. The peninsula's volcanic systems were subsequently dormant for 800 years until a fresh series of eruptions began in 2021, which have been called the New Reykjanes Fires.
The Reykjanes Peninsula is a continuation of the mostly submarine Reykjanes Ridge, a part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Its topography was formed by glaciers and volcanism, with basaltic lava fields covering a good part of the peninsula, in between volcanoes of subglacial as well as subaerial origin, namely tuyas, hyaloclastic ridges (tindars), shield volcanoes and crater rows. [1]
The Reykjanes volcanic belt, one of the present day volcanic zones of Iceland, consists (depending on author) of 3 to 6 or even 7 volcanic systems, arranged en echelon, i.e. more or less side by side, and in an average 40° angle to the spreading direction NE–SW over the peninsula. [2] [3] Most of the volcanic systems, because they are on top of a rift segment, show a tendency for basaltic fissure eruptions. [2] There are tephra deposits from both offshore explosive Holocene eruptions, some of which were from volcanoes of the Reykjanes volcanic system, [4] and the most recent eruption of Hengill. [5] Only the Hengill volcanic system, the most easterly system, has an additional complex central volcano at the intersection with the West volcanic zone of Iceland and South Iceland seismic zone. [6] [5]
A number of off- and onshore eruptions at Reykjanes are recorded by medieval Icelandic annals and sagas as having taken place between 1210 and 1240. [7] As well as depositing tephra across the peninsula, they produced dozens of square kilometres of lava flows, now known as the Yngra Stampahraun, Eldvarpahraun, Illahraun and Arnaseturshraun. The eruptions are known as "fires" for being a series of eruptions over a specific period in the same area. The exact length of each eruption is not known. [8] The specific events recorded were in:
After 800 years of dormancy, a fresh series of eruptions began on the peninsula in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. There were three eruptions at Fagradalsfjall in 2021, 2022 and 2023 and as of June 2024 [update] there have been five eruptions at Sundhnúkur in 2023 and 2024. These have collectively been described as the New Reykjanes Fires in the light of their similarity to the 1210-1240 events: [14]
The Reykjanes Fires ( Icelandic: Reykjaneseldar) were a series of volcanic eruptions that took place on the Reykjanes Peninsula in south-west Iceland between approximately 1210 and 1240. They caused widespread physical and economic damage, covering large areas of the peninsula in lava and tephra and causing the mass starvation of livestock, as well as a number of deaths of people due to earthquakes. The peninsula's volcanic systems were subsequently dormant for 800 years until a fresh series of eruptions began in 2021, which have been called the New Reykjanes Fires.
The Reykjanes Peninsula is a continuation of the mostly submarine Reykjanes Ridge, a part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Its topography was formed by glaciers and volcanism, with basaltic lava fields covering a good part of the peninsula, in between volcanoes of subglacial as well as subaerial origin, namely tuyas, hyaloclastic ridges (tindars), shield volcanoes and crater rows. [1]
The Reykjanes volcanic belt, one of the present day volcanic zones of Iceland, consists (depending on author) of 3 to 6 or even 7 volcanic systems, arranged en echelon, i.e. more or less side by side, and in an average 40° angle to the spreading direction NE–SW over the peninsula. [2] [3] Most of the volcanic systems, because they are on top of a rift segment, show a tendency for basaltic fissure eruptions. [2] There are tephra deposits from both offshore explosive Holocene eruptions, some of which were from volcanoes of the Reykjanes volcanic system, [4] and the most recent eruption of Hengill. [5] Only the Hengill volcanic system, the most easterly system, has an additional complex central volcano at the intersection with the West volcanic zone of Iceland and South Iceland seismic zone. [6] [5]
A number of off- and onshore eruptions at Reykjanes are recorded by medieval Icelandic annals and sagas as having taken place between 1210 and 1240. [7] As well as depositing tephra across the peninsula, they produced dozens of square kilometres of lava flows, now known as the Yngra Stampahraun, Eldvarpahraun, Illahraun and Arnaseturshraun. The eruptions are known as "fires" for being a series of eruptions over a specific period in the same area. The exact length of each eruption is not known. [8] The specific events recorded were in:
After 800 years of dormancy, a fresh series of eruptions began on the peninsula in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. There were three eruptions at Fagradalsfjall in 2021, 2022 and 2023 and as of June 2024 [update] there have been five eruptions at Sundhnúkur in 2023 and 2024. These have collectively been described as the New Reykjanes Fires in the light of their similarity to the 1210-1240 events: [14]