Christmas in Iceland

Iceland is a special place with an array of holiday traditions that are as unique as the island its self.

In Iceland, the Christmas festivities start on December 24th and last for 12 nights until January the 6th. In many northern countries, Christmas has its roots in ancient traditions connected to the winter solstice. Former non-Christian cultures celebrated ‘Yule’ on the shortest day of the year, which is also very close to the traditional Christmas season. Many of the early traditions surrounding Yule are a mystery to us today, but what hasn’t changed much over the centuries is the food and drink! Feasting and ale were the order of the day with Icelandic Chieftains inciting scores Yule drinking fests.

After Christianity became the prevalent religion, the pagan Nordic traditions were replaced by celebrations of the birth of Christ. Christianity had long since been adopted in Rome, the prevailing power of the day. Celebrations of Christmas replaced pagan holidays in many places thanks to Rome’s influence. The 13 day celebrations began in the 4th and 5th Centuries. Most Christian nations celebrated Christ’s birth on Dec. 25th and his baptism on Jan. 6th along with the adoration of the Wise Men.

While the holiday many be 13 days long and includes many beloved and time-honored traditions, to some getting ready for the festivities is just as much of a tradition at that time of year. For hundreds of years people have been caught up in Christmas preparations the week before the holiday kicks-off. The Icelandic people would traditionally refer to this time as ‘Fast Advent’. This name arose because of the old Christian practice of fasting before Christmas.

Just as one would leading up to Easter, Icelanders would restrict their diet in the weeks before Christmas, often eating no meat during this time. The term Advent comes straight from the Latin word ‘adventus’, which means ‘to arrive’. In many Christian cultures, Advent is a time to prepare both your spirit and your home preparations for the arrival of Christmas. Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas is a time for spiritual reflection and for hard work and everyone pitches in to make Christmas memorable. In modern times the popularity and love of Christmas has meant that people often start their Christmas preparations long before Advent arrives. However, Advent is still a special time, when we rush and plan and cook and decorate, all to get ready for a season of togetherness when we spend time with those we love.

Modern Icelandic Christmas may differ from the traditions of old, but the amount of time and preparation that is put into the festivities has certainly not decreased! In modern Iceland, before the bells ring in the Christmas celebrations, from cards and gifts to new Christmas clothes, a good Christmas cleaning and decorations for the house, everyone pitches into to make a festive holiday season. Thirteen days before Christmas children leave their shoes by their window to be filled by the Yule lads (the Icelandic version of Father Christmas/Santa Claus) on his visit. Like in the feast days of old, Christmas food is an essential part of any celebration. When Christmas Eve arrives and all the preparation is finally done, Icelanders settle in for 12 spectacular days and nights of parties and entertainment.

Food

There is no shortage of food to be found at the Laugarvegur shopping district. With a wide array of pubs, restaurants and clubs, you appetite for Christmas cuisine is sure to be satisfied along with your desire for a night on the town.  The center also provides for a relaxing setting after a day of shopping or sightseeing.

The aroma coming from Reykjavik on Dec. 23 is sure to be a strong attraction for all fish lovers. The traditional skate parties are held yearly the day before Christmas Eve, when the natives cook this special north Atlantic species of ray fish. Most restaurants in Reykjavik offer skate at this time of year, but skate is a particular specialty of Saegreifinn seafood restaurant, which we highly recommend. The smell might take some getting used to, but the party should not be missed.

Baked goods are a specialty of an Icelandic Christmas. Laufabrauð, a uniquely shaped deep-fried wheat bread, is an Icelandic delicacy that should not be missed at Christmas time and is best eaten with a little butter. If you have a bit of a sweet tooth, why not try some of the traditional Icelandic Christmas cookies, baked with love by the locals.

Shopping

Perfect for some last minute or after-Christmas shopping, Reykjavik boasts Europe’s largest shopping mall! Smaralind is just a short bus or taxi ride from our hostel. Smaralind’s prices are competitive with European prices, and in many, if not most cases you can find a terrific deal.

Kringlan shopping center, like Smaralind, is located in relatively close our hostel. Kringlan is regarded as Iceland’s first modern shopping mall. Even though this indoor shopping center has been open for 25 years, it has modern amenities and trendy places to shop.

The closest and most convenient shopping is located in the Laugarvegur shopping district, less than five minute walk from our hostel. At Christmas time, this district lights up the dark northern days with twinkling lights and festive decorations, setting a romantic scene in late November and December. The snow is the final finishing touch to make this area into the perfect winter wonder land. Come and experience the magic of an Icelandic Christmas with your loved ones and have a holiday season that you’ll never forget.

Christmas in Iceland: a holiday season as unique as Iceland itself!

Rachel, Iceland24h.blogspot.com
© 2014 Iceland24h.blogspot.com, October 2014

Top 10 must-do’s in Iceland - Travel in Iceland

Check our Articles:

1. The Golden Circle

2. Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon

3. Blue Lagoon Spa

4. Reykjavík 

5. Pools  

6. Icelandic Cuisine

7. Whale Watching

8. Kolaportið Markets

9. Landmannalaugar

10. Volcano Tour

Iceland24h.blogspot.com
February 2015

Itinerary Ideas: Iceland in Winter - 6 Days itinerary trip in Iceland during Winter

When visiting in winter (or really October through April), you’ll want to be conscious of two factors that can affect where you go: the weather and the shorter hours of daylight. You can easily get around in winter near Reykjavík without a 4WD vehicle, but some areas of the Ring Road will be more difficult to manage.

You’ll also need to travel at a slower pace, especially when the days are at their shortest (around mid-December). Unless you plan to rent a 4WD vehicle, your best bet is probably to stay near the capital. Luckily, there is plenty to see and do in and around Reykjavik to keep you busy for 10 days.

We recommend you to read our latest article about driving in Iceland.

Plan on 2-3 days for sightseeing and shopping around the city, then budget 4-6 days for day trips like cave exploring, ATV driving, glacier walking, snorkeling, horseback riding, dog sledding, and venturing as far as Vik.

View Larger Map

Save one day for the Golden Circle tour; if you have time and are so inclined, you can even take a day trip by plane to Akureyri or Isafjordur with AirIceland.

6 days trip in winter based in Reykjavík

Day 1. 

Once you’ve settled in, I recommend you start by getting your bearings, and there’s no better way to do that than to head up to the observation deck of Hallgrimskirkja, or “the big white church” as many people refer to it. You’ll see it from nearly anywhere in town and as long as you can find your way from there to  your hotel, you’ll never be lost in Reykjavik. You can go inside the church and take the elevator to the top for the best view in the city.

Afterwards, you can stroll down to the Solfar (Sun Voyager) sculpture on the waterfront and then continue down to the harbor, where you can have lunch at Icelandic Fish and Chips, or warm up with a hot bowl of lobster soup at Sægreifinn (Seabaron).

From there you can walk through the heart of downtown, past the Parliament building and around to the Radhus, the City Hall, to see a giant topographical map of Iceland. Swing around the Tjornin pond, past the Prime Minister’s office, and up Bankastraeti, which turns into Laugavegur, the main shopping street.  If you wants to pick up something to make for dinner, stop at the Bonus grocery store.

Day 2. 

Today is a great day to get in some outdoor activity. Arrange to go snorkeling in some of the clearest water in the world at Silfra in Thingvellir (wrapped up in a surprisingly warm dry suit to survive the frigid water temps) or go riding on an Icelandic horse.

Tour companies will take care of all the details, including pick up and drop off, and many tours can be combined to maximize time. For example, you could arrange to go horseback riding and combine that with a trip to the Blue Lagoon or to Geysir and Gullfoss, two of the country’s most popular attractions.

Day 3. 

If you’ve made some friends at your guesthouse or are traveling with a few other people, split the cost of a car rental and drive to the Golden Circle attractions. With even one other person, the $100 US cost of renting an automatic transmission car (including insurance) would work out better than spending 9800 ISK (about $89 US) for a tour of the Golden Circle.

The roads along the route are fairly well-maintained and unless a storm comes up, the drive would be no worse than driving anywhere in the US in winter. Plus, a car allows the freedom to stop as often as you’d like and detour when you want.

After a day of exploring, treat yourself to a splurge dinner, before hitting some of the clubs for the Friday night runtur.  I highly recommend Fishmarket, an upscale restaurant that serves Icelandic specialties with an Asian twist – I loved the grilled king crab claws with chili may (3900 ISK, about $35 US)  or the 6900 ISK langoustine from Vestmannaeyjar. If that’s too rich for you, there are plenty of cheap eats, like Tapas Barinn, where you can sample smaller portions at smaller prices.

Day 4.

Assuming you stayed out a little late last night and want to take it easy on Saturday, you should stick around Reykjavik. Relax in one of the public swimming pools, ride a bike around the city if the weather is nice, or do some shopping at the weekend Kolaportið flea market near the harbor.

If you are in the market for an Icelandic sweater, get one here for much cheaper than in the souvenir shops. If you have some cash to burn, stock up on stylish outdoor gear at 66° North or head to the Kringlan shopping center. If it’s Wednesday, today is the best day to visit the Culture House as there is no admission charge on Wednesdays.

Day 5.

You need to get a Car rental in Iceland and drive to the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. Jökulsárlón is today one of Iceland's best known and most popular natural wonders, and for a good reason. A magnificent view welcomes you as you arrive there and it's almost like stepping into a fairy tale landscape.

The lake has grown since then at varying rates because of melting of the Icelandic glaciers. The lagoon now stands 1.5 kilometres away from the ocean's edge and covers an area of about 18 km2. It recently became the deepest lake in Iceland at over 248 metres depth as glacial retreat extended its boundaries.

Day 6.

Most flights back to the US leave between 3pm and 5pm; Keflavik Airport is small and the security line moves pretty fast so you don’t need to get there much more than 90 minutes before your flight, which leaves plenty of time left in the morning to explore more of Reykjavik or schedule once last excursion. If you haven’t yet visited the Blue Lagoon, go today on your way to the airport.

The Flybus picks up at the BSI bus terminal, an easy 10-15 minute walk from the city center, and goes right to the Blue Lagoon. If you takes the 11am bus to the Blue Lagoon, you’ll arrive by 11:45, and will have over two hours to soak before boarding the 2:15pm bus to Keflavik, which arrives with 2.5 hours to spare before a 5pm flight.

This leaves plenty of time to have a snack, turn in any receipts for duty-free shopping to get a tax refund, exchange any remaining kronur for dollars, and relax before the flight home.

Do not forget to search for the Northern Lights

The Northern Lights appear from September to March, and though sightings are never guaranteed, there are many tour companies who will drive you to a viewing point and provide warm gear, hot drinks, and even dinner, while you wait for the lights to dance overhead. But you don’t have to pony up for a tour though. In fact, sometimes you don’t even have to leave the city, as the lights can often be seen from Reykjavik.

Berglind Rós, Iceland24h.blogspot.com

October 2014

Tourist Caught Speeding - Speed tickets in Iceland

A tourist was caught speeding 60 kilometers over the limit along Reykjanesbraut, the road to Keflavík International Airport, earlier this week.

The speed limit in the area, and the maximum speed limit in Iceland, is 90 km/hr (55 mph) but the man was driving 150 km/hr (95 mph).

A total of 11 people were caught speeding in the Suðurnes region where Keflavík Airport is located this week, visir.is reports.

The police in Selfoss also stopped a tourist on the mountain pass Hellisheiði, between Reykjavík and Hveragerði, for speeding 168 km/h (105 miles/h) in a 90 km/h zone last monday. The speed limit outside of urban areas in Iceland is generally 90km/h (55miles/h).

The driver was issued a ISK 112,000 (USD 1000, EUR 770) on-the-spot fine. The man will also be banned from driving for three months.

There have been several cases of tourists being booked for driving much faster than the speed limit in recent months.

Speed limits and tickets in Iceland

The general rule is that 90 km/hour is the maximum speed you can drive at outside of towns and villages in Iceland in perfect circumstances on tarmac and without a carriage. On unpaved roads the speed limit is 80 km/hour Nowhere in Iceland are you allowed to drive faster than that. Somewhere the speed limit can be lower if the circumstances call for it such as steep mountain roads or sharp turns. There are usually plenty of signs that tell you the maximum speed so not knowing is really not an excuse.

The table below tells you how the speeding ticket system in Iceland is built up. The yellow line represent the speed limit on any given road and the pink line represent the actual speed the driver is caught driving at. The numbers in the other boxes represent the fine in thousands (ISK) + the months the license is suspended. We don’t know if the Icelandic police has jurisdiction to suspend foreign licenses but they can and will give out tickets.

How do you get a ticket?

As you may have noticed if you have driven around Iceland there are not a lot of police around. There are plenty of speed cameras though and even thought there are big signs that tell you that they are there, somehow people don’t slow down and end up getting a ticket.

Also, even though there are not a lot of police around they do lurk around and show up when you least expect it. Certain counties are notorious for very efficient speed control and the police knows exactly where to hide so you won’t figure out they are there until it’s too late.

We’ve also heard, and we don’t know if this is true or not, that they just love to bust tourists in rental cars.

But nobody told me I got a ticket when I dropped off my rental car, that must mean I’m in the clear, right?

Wrong. It always takes the authorities some time to process the ticket and then it takes the car rental agency time to put two and two together and figure out who was driving the car when the ticket was issued. What’s more, some car rental agencies will charge you a processing charge on top of the actual ticket.

Soure: Icelandreview
Iceland24h.blogspot.com, October 2014

Bárðarbunga Expedition

The views of the volcano from the plane were impressive to say the least. That was on the Saturday, the day of our arrival. It was on the Sunday, whilst enjoying lunch with some Spanish red wine that the real adventure began. It was an unexpected but most welcome twist to our journey that we will remember for the rest of our days.

At around 2pm we received a call from the Civil Protection Agency informing us that access to “point zero” was now permitted. We were not expecting this. In fact when we got the call we were planning our return trip to Reykjavik. Suffice to say we quickly finished eating and ran to the hotel to collect our belongings.

Time was of the essence, so we headed straight for the meeting point at Myvatn to find our contact Sindri, who would take us to the volcano. Sindri, a local expert driver-guide was as excited as we were. It was the first time he had the opportunity to experience a volcano at such close quarters.After checking all of our equipment, including dangerous gas sensors we jumped into the Super Jeep and headed off to the “giant in flames”.

The unpredictable nature and potentially devastating effects of volcanoes is something not to be taken lightly, and with the eruption of 2010 still fresh in our minds we approached the eruption site with no little amount of trepidation and fear. However, our relentless thirst for travel, our fascination of the volcano plus our commitment to report on the events helped to give us the impetus we needed to get there.

Less than an hour later we were in Moðrudalur, the last inhabited settlement before entering the maze of tracks that lead to the volcano. The possibility of a sub-glacial eruption flooding the valley that offered the most direct route, we were forced to take a diversion  through winding roads and lava fields from the east to the shelter of Askja. From here we would follow a new path that would lead us to Þorvalstindur and the eruption area.

The numerous police checks combined with the slow arduous going on the barely drivable tracks in this bleak arid landscape merely served to compound our frustration. Night was approaching and there was still another 35km to go. The glow of the clouds in the distant lent an apocalyptic feel to the proceedings. Fear, respect, excitement, impatience, apprehension, joy, curiosity – our team were experiencing a cocktail of emotions that somehow managed to unite us more than ever.

We finally arrived at Askja. We stopped at the hut there for a few minutes before the countdown could begin. Our journey to the gates of hell was almost over. Sindri accelerated as if possessed by demons as the engine of the 4X4 roared into action.Suddenly it was there. Expelling magma and smoke with a violent force that coloured the sky with dark foreboding shades of grey.

With a bright red dot on the horizon forming a strange almost surreal sunset that illuminated a seemingly infinite expanse of black sand, our indefatigable horse walked on. A glacier and a dark mountain completed this otherworldly landscape, and I felt like I was marching into a battle at the end of the world. My very own Ragnarrök.

Then it hit me. What if the activity at Bárðarbunga suddenly increases. What if a dreaded subglacial eruption floods the entire area that surrounds us? I glanced nervously at Sindri, and he sensed my unease. I ordered him to stop the jeep. We could feel the ground beneath us shaking. I asked him if he was sure we were doing the right thing. Without hesitation and displaying a bravado so typical of a Viking warrior he replied that we were. We took advantage of this brief pause to take pictures and videos just as it was getting dark.

Our desire to be as close as possible to the eruption spurred us on. We set off again, and 10 minutes later we were almost there. The darkness had made the glowing embers of the lava almost indistinguishable from the red lights of the few vehicles that were already there.

Finally there it was. The Volcano. It would be futile for me to even attempt to explain how I felt. There are simply no words. The excitement just flowed through my body and I could feel tears trickling down my cheeks. Pictures and videos can only go some way to describing the sensation of witnessing a volcano eruption. There is nothing that can truly depict what we felt. All I can say to you,  friends, readers and travellers is to believe me when I say that there is nothing more powerful or humbling than the unrestrained forces of nature.

How to get there?

Those of you wishing to travel to the area and take a flight can contact these companies:

- Flight from Reykjavík (from 670€)
- Helicopter from Reykjavík (from 1.180€)
- Flight from lake Mývatn (from 250€) Most popular: Recommended
- Super Jeep Tour from lake Mývatn (from 220€)
- Flight from Akureyri (from 360€)
- Helicopter from Akureyri (780€)

The cost per person is €250 from Mývatn, and the truth is this one is highly recommended (do not overpaid for this!).


Jóhanna & Kolla & Juan
Iceland24h.blogspot.com, September 2014

8 Photos of Iceland's Barðarbunga Volcano

Iceland's Barðarbunga volcano has been erupting since Aug. 29, with lava shooting out of the ground on the Holuhraun lava field about halfway between that volcano and a neighboring volcano called Askja. The lava has flown out of the collapsed crater of Bardabunga, known as a caldera, in a nearly 30 mile long dyke, before reaching the Earth's surface.

The flow of molten rock, or magma, out from underneath the volcano, through the dyke, and out of the ground has been so significant that the caldera itself — which sits underneath the Dyngjujokull glacier — has sunk by more than 61 feet, which is the largest amount of subsidence observed in any volcano in Iceland since such observations began in about 1950.

Due to the magma movement and the sinking volcano, earthquakes continue to rattle the area, with a 5.5 magnitude quake last Wednesday, and a 5.3 magnitude quake last Thursday.

Scientists studying the volcano from the air and the ground have had to contend with hazardous plumes of sulfur dioxide gas that are streaming from the fissure in the ground that opened up on the Holuhraun lava field, like a scrape on a person's skin. The gases may pose a health hazard to populated areas downwind of the eruption, and have been detected as far away as Norway.

The scientists are still unsure exactly how the eruption will proceed from here. It could eventually result in flooding or an ash-producing eruption that would disrupt trans-Atlantic air travel and, if it is large enough, exert a cooling influence in the Earth's climate.

For now, though, the eruption is relatively benign, and absolutely beautiful. In this aerial view, fountains of lava, up to 200 feet high, spurt from a fissure in the ground on the north side of the Bardarbunga volcano in Iceland on Sept. 2, 2014.

The sky over the site of a lava eruption on the Holuhraun fissure on Sept. 1, 2014.

An aerial view of fountains of lava on the north side of the Bardarbunga volcano in Iceland on Sept. 2, 2014.

How to get there?

Those of you wishing to travel to the area and take a flight can contact these companies:

- Flight from Reykjavík (from 670€)
- Helicopter from Reykjavík (from 1.180€)
- Flight from lake Mývatn (from 250€) Most popular: Recommended
- Super Jeep Tour from lake Mývatn (from 220€)
- Flight from Akureyri (from 360€)
- Helicopter from Akureyri (780€)

The cost per person is €250 from Mývatn, and the truth is this one is highly recommended (do not overpaid for this!).


Iceland24h.blogspot.com
September 2014

Holuhraun Eruption Tour in Iceland - Bárðarbunga Eruption Sightseeing Flight

10:25 Iceland - LATEST NEWS


There was a nervous atmosphere as we travelled in silence to Mývatn. The Iceland24h.blogspot.com team had just been informed that, for security reasons the volcanic eruption site around Holahraun was inaccessible by jeep.



After waiting almost a week to get a permit from the Icelandic authorities it was disappointing to discover we could not get there by car. However we were determined not to miss the opportunity to be in the “eye of the storm”.

The only way to reach the site of the eruption has been to take a small plane and fly over it. From this vantage point one gets to truly appreciate the real size of the fissure eruption that the whole world has been keeping an eye on. After a long day, we can finally give you a first hand account of it .


To experience the lava fountains spewing magma more than 100 metres into the air next to the largest glacier in Europe is a difficult to feeling to describe. It was almost like witnessing Earth “giving birth”. This felt particularly true when we saw the vivid colours of the so called “curtain of fire”.



The smouldering lava field was moving at about 40 metres per hour, engulfing everything in its path. Latest developments indicate that there is an explosive encounter between the lava and the Jökulsá glacial river that flows from the glacial tongue of Dyngjujökull. 


Volcanic activity in the area has remained stable over the past few days, although seismic activity has decreased slightly.


Islandia24 will continue to report from the site. Our commitment is not only to our followers but also to discovering the truth behind the stories, leaving us no choice but to see the eruption for ourselves.


How to get there?

Those of you wishing to travel to the area and take a flight can contact these companies:

- Flight from Reykjavík (from 670€)
- Helicopter from Reykjavík (from 1.180€)
- Flight from lake Mývatn (from 250€) Most popular: Recommended
- Super Jeep Tour from lake Mývatn (from 220€)
- Flight from Akureyri (from 360€)
- Helicopter from Akureyri (780€)

The cost per person is €250 from Mývatn, and the truth is this one is highly recommended (do not overpaid for this!).


Iceland24h.blogspot.com Team
September 2014

Up to 130 meter high lava fountains

Robust activity has been seen in the Holuhraun lava eruption this morning, says volcanologist Armann Hoskuldsson who is monitoring the event. "The highest lava fountains rise up to 130 meters from the craters," he says. The new lava field is now estimated to be 11 - 12 square kilometers in size.

"We returned to the fissure early this morning and saw considerable volcanic activity at around 7 AM," says Dr. Hoskuldsson. He and other scientists spent the night at a mountain hut nearby, after an evacuation was ordered yesterday when volcanic tremor was detected in the area, leading to fears that a subglacial eruption was imminent. "The main craters are now very active and the lava fountains from them rise up to 120 - 130 meter height," he says.

The new lava from the fissure now extends to about 11 - 12 square kilometres says dr. Hoskuldsson. "It´s been robust in the last hours and lava has been flowing westward by about 300 meters. The fissure itself has not changed much however; it´s still 1.7 - 1.8 kilometer long," he says.

Despite the volcanic tremor yesterday, no signs of a subglacial eruption have been seen, and no change has been observed in water flowing from beneath the glacier. The tremor is still unexplained, but indications point to an area south of Holuhraun, extending under the Dyngjujokull glacier margin where a small rift valley (graben) has formed. One possible theory, according to scientists, is that groundwater has seeped through deep cracks in the bedrock, down to the magma intrusion beneath, causing explosive activity detected by seismometers.

According to the Icelandic Met Office (IMO), GPS measurements indicate that the volume of magma entering the dike intrusion is still more than the volume of lava being erupted at the Holuhraun fissure. The rate of magma being pumped in seems however to have slowed , says Benedikt Ofeigsson, a geophysicist at the IMO.

Seismic activity is still ongoing at Holuhraun, but the strongest earthquakes have been detected near the rim of the Bardarbunga volcano. Four earthquakes, exceeding magnitude 4 have occurred there since midnight. The strongest one was M4,8 according to the IMO.

How to get there?

Those of you wishing to travel to the area and take a flight can contact these companies:

- Flight from Reykjavík (from 670€)
- Helicopter from Reykjavík (from 1.180€)
- Flight from lake Mývatn (from 250€) Most popular: Recommended
- Super Jeep Tour from lake Mývatn (from 220€)
- Flight from Akureyri (from 360€)
- Helicopter from Akureyri (780€)

Source: www.ruv.is
Iceland24h.blogspot.com

New eruption: 60 m high lava fountains

The effusive eruption in Holuhraun that started early this morning is producing 50 - 60 meter high lava fountains, according to a volcanologist at the site. The active fissure is 1500 - 1800 meter long, considerably larger than the fissure that opened Friday morning.

According to Armann Hoskuldsson, volcanologist at the University of Iceland´s Institute of Earth Sciences, who is at the site, the lava flow from the fissure is about 10-20 times more than Friday morning. The eruption is estimated to be 10 to 20 times bigger than the one Friday morning, and looks "robust" says Dr. Hoskuldsson. He says the highest lava fountains can be seen at the southern end of the fissure, but at the northern end, they are less powerful. The southern end of the fissure is about 4 kilometres north of the Dyngjujokull outlet glacier.

The Civil Protection Agency has maintained its level of preparedness at "danger", and previous road closures and area restrictions are in effect.

This effusive fissure eruption is the third one in the area since last weekend. On Aug. 23, a small subglacial eruption occurred near the Bardarbunga caldera in Vatnajokull. The eruption was shortlived, and did not break through the glacier, but did create calderas that were spotted a few days later. Early last friday, a small fissure opened in the Holuhraun lava field, north of the Dyngjujokull outlet glacer. That eruption lasted for 3 - 4 hours.

Seismic activity has been detected in the Bardarbunga region this morning, but less intense than in recent days. Today, the weather conditions are very unfavorable north of Vatnajokull, with high wind and rain forecast for today. Here is a webcam near the eruption site, but due to fog and rain, visibility is sometimes very limited.

Eldgos hófst í Holuhrauni, norðan Vatnajökuls, rétt fyrir klukkan sex í morgun. Þetta er þriðja gosið á Bárðarbungusvæðinu á rúmri viku. Gosið er hraungos, á sömu sprungu og opnaðist aðfaranótt föstudags, en gosið nú er 10-20 sinnum stærra, að sögn Ármanns Höskuldssonar eldfjallafræðings, sem skoðaði gosstöðvarnar í návígi í morgun. Hann segir að hæstu hraunstrókarnir séu allt að 50-60 metra háir, syðst á sprungunni, en mun lægri norðar. Suðurendi sprungunnar er á sama stað og aðfaranótt föstudags, um fjóra kílómetra frá sporði Dyngjujökuls.

Source: www.ruv.is
Iceland24h.blogspot.com