How a fishing town in Iceland tried to save itself from a volcano
When nature unleashes her fire, can you tame it?
A few months ago, the North American and European tectonic plates started moving apart. People who lived above this fault line began hearing deep rumbling sounds from below. A few minor earthquakes were recorded. Hot magma was all set to start rising soon. A beautiful fishing village, a power plant and a famous lagoon, lay in this vicinity. The residents of the fishing village tried protecting their town. What did they do? Were they successful? In this week’s edition of the ‘Lighter Side’, I write to you the story of how a fishing town in Iceland tried barricading itself from lava flow.
Before I get to the story, I’ve got a small piece of news for you. We are celebrating all children who have co-hosted episodes on ‘What’s new today’ with a Personalized Poster!
If you have featured in our podcast as a co-host, click below to order a customized poster showcasing the amazing feedback you received on your episode. Imagine seeing those encouraging comments every day, right in your house! It's a true testament to your talent :) Let's make your achievements shine!
Trivia questions for you
Where can you find more volcanoes - on land, or, under water?
Answer: Under water. More than 60% of the world’s volcanoes are under water.
Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii is taller than Mt.Everest - true or false?
Answer: True. It rises from the sea floor. Mt.Everest is the tallest mountain (rises from land).
Tell me the story of the volcano rising near a fishing town….
Iceland is famous for its volcanic eruptions (it has one every 4-5 years). Towards the end of 2010, a volcano erupted and spewed so much volcanic ash into the air, that all planes flying over Europe were either grounded or sent elsewhere. The people of Iceland are a hardy lot and are quite used to all this activity. But recently, when the ground rumbled and a volcano threatened to erupt near the fishing town of Grindavik, the Govt. of Iceland decided to try ways of diverting the lava.
Construction teams got their teams ready to build barriers. These are like dams, and in some places, resemble ditches. They are meant to divert the lava away from towns towards unoccupied places. Iceland has tried this in the past. So has Hawaii.
Lava is molten rock and is well above 1000 degrees Celsius. No wall or barrier can really stop it, so the best bet is to build deep ditches or trenches that can divert the lava, not stop it. Well into the first half of 2023, people from Grindavik were hoping that they would just look out their windows and see the lava flowing far far away from their homes.
November 2023 arrived. Fissures emerged closeby.
The earthquakes under Grindavik became more and more frequent. The lava barriers were fully in place by now. But, a fissure on earth (a long deep break on ground) emerged very close to Grindavik. People walking on the roads, children going to school and tourists traveling nearby could see traces of the fissure. If magma began flowing from this fissure, would there be any way that the lava barriers / trenches would protect the town? Worried residents began to make back-up plans. They packed their belongings and got ready.
Dec 2023 - evacuate now
After nearly 800 years, a fault line near Grindavik was opening up once again. Around 1200 AD, this region had seen lava flowing down its streets. After that, life had gone on, quietly and simply, for 800 years. Volcanic silence had reigned. Till now.
But now with the new fissure opening so close to the town, the risk of homes being overrun by lava was high. The government decided to evacuate the town. Christmas was no longer at home. Children packed their books and toys. Parents packed their most important belongings. They trundled away in their vehicles to areas far away from this ‘fire-prone’ region. By mid-Dec, all eyes were on the town of Grindavik. It was a deserted town with no one around. One dark night, magma broke ground and the lava flowed down the roads. Streets and buildings moved and re-arranged themselves as the ground shook and molten lava freely played around.
Did the lava barriers help?
Not this time. The fissures in the ground were too close to the town. No matter how many trenches they built, it would not have helped. The townsfolk of Grindavik were saved. But it would be many months before the volcanic activity stops. The fishing folks of Grindavik are biding their time in nearby fishing villages and trying to earn their living, working from there. They hope to go back to their town in a few months, and see if they can rebuild their homes and lives.
I promised 2 photos on the podcast….
Photo 1: A 10-yr old boy from Mumbai and I discussed this story in a podcast and he told me that volcanoes can sometimes throw up so much ash and energy that it could spark a lightning. Here is the promised photo of this spark.
Photo 2: We also discussed how volcanic eruptions can take place in oceans too, and that it can be breathtakingly beautiful to see the lava flow into the water. Here is the promised second photo.