#Heimaey

[mothmiso]

Iceland - Heimaey Island (2) (3) (4) by Mike Fitzpatrick

Via Flickr:

(1) A large colony of Atlantic Puffins breed on the grassy slopes above the sea cliffs on the Storhofdi peninsula at the south end of Heimaey Island. A small hut located halfway up the slope on the left side of the photo is a puffin viewing stand, where we will have an opportunity to see the birds up close. On gray cloudy days such as this, the birds are more likely to remain on shore rather than spend the day out at sea feeding, thus giving us the opportunity to see them in great numbers.     

[boringiceland]

Heimaey séð frá báti

[orendarling]

This is one of my favorite photos from my travels in 2023. When the volcano Eldfell erupted a little over 50 years ago, one of the many battles that was fought was to prevent the lava from sealing off the harbor to Heimaey, which would have effectively cut the town off from the mainland and crippled its economy. Looking across the ocean channel leading to the harbor, the left side is an older mountain and the right is newer rock where boats with water cannons blasted the encroaching lava until the harbor was saved.

Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland

May, 2023

[captainmartinisblog]

Tuesday 11th June 2024 - Heimaey, Westman Islands

More Puffins and a School of Razorbills!

[2t2r]

Un rocher en forme d'éléphant surgit de l'océan en Islande

Nouvel article publié sur https://www.2tout2rien.fr/un-rocher-en-forme-delephant-surgit-de-locean-en-islande/

Un rocher en forme d'éléphant surgit de l'océan en Islande

[c-kiddo]

i like the sign :- ) it reminds me a bit of iceland or something

[echoesofdusk]

"why did the people of Grindavík build their town on top of a volcano, why would they live somewhere in a dangerous area like this" I don't know how to put it for you but last time there had been volcanic activity on the Reykjanes peninsula prior to the 2021 eruption was over 800 years ago. people simply didn't know. how are you gonna be able to tell that an area will see a volcanic activity again if it's been 800 years give or take since last volcanic activity. especially when these things are difficult to forecast, even for the most versed of geologists

[miniar]

Volcanic eruption on the edge of town in Iceland

January 14th update.

Early this morning a crack opened up in the earth and lava started to spill out. This wasn't entirely unexpected but it's placement is the worst case scenario for a lot of people.

You, like the people who live in Grindavík, can watch the slow flow of molten earth towards the town live, on webcams that cover the area from a few angles, on either of these two links. Remember, these are people's homes, so, while bearing witness to nature's wrath is something we may want to do, know you're doing it along side the very people whose homes those are. Don't be a ghoul. Link 1 - Icelandic national broadcast

Link 2 - Morgunblaðið

Now let me go back a couple of days and cover some preamble.

A group of people have been working hard, building a low protective wall (think sandbagging but for lava, not water) and trying to fill in the massive crack in the earth in the Icelandic town of Grindavík when one of them went missing. His tools were spotted down the crack, but after a few days of searching, the authorities gave up on finding him. He's presumed dead, swallowed whole by the earth. This is the first death associated with the situation.

When the crack opened this morning it opened across the protective barrier they had been working on. Some effort was made to try and get the expensive machinery out, making several people watching on live feeds very very nervous, as the lava started running on both sides of this little barrier. A clear black split in the bright red heat of molten rock in the dark winter morning. No machines and no (more) workers were lost, but fear rose quickly. If the lava split the barrier then what of the town?

Before the question could even be asked "officially" enough to start formulating a swift answer, a second smaller tear in the earth opened on the town's side of the wall, far closer to the nearest street, the nearest home, than the previous larger crack.

People who had been struck with fear and a panicked hope that Something could be done to protect their homes watched as that hope was swiftly set ablaze.

The search for the missing man stopped just the day before yesterday, so this has been very quick, and while the previous situation was marked with repeated and intense earthquakes and a tiny spillage of lava that lasted less than a day, this was almost gentle. People didn't get a buildup of warning as pressure rose and the ground readied itself to spill forth it's contents, not the way they did before. It seems the pressure release of December just wasn't enough for a notable difference. The town of Grindavík stands empty right now. No one is in there, waiting for the slow flowing doom. But these are still people's homes. Everyone's been evacuated, but almost everyone had been hoping, and had begun waiting, to go HOME. They are watching this now. Wondering if their home will even exist tomorrow.

This is expected to be the worst volcanic event in Iceland since the eruption in Heimaey where a large portion of the settlement was entirely lost.

We rebuilt then and odds are we'll rebuild now, but everyone who's ever lost anything close to this degree knows that no matter how well you rebuild, no matter what well you replace what you've lost, what's lost is still Lost.

So, be kind, don't be a ghoul, and maybe take the moment to respect the fierce power of the earth we all have such tendency to take for granted, and be reminded of how even in places of peace, human life both physical and metaphorical, is so very, very, very fragile, that we should be treating it gently and not as disposable.

And if you want to donate to help the people of Grindavík, I suggest you donate to help the people of Palestine instead, or to a Transgender charity, or to any other people who are face man-made horrors instead. Your kindness is wonderful, but while this is a fucking disaster, it's one Iceland's familiar with, and it's only natural. You can't counterbalance mother earth, but you can counterbalance your fellow man.

[elixir]

44 years ago, on January 23, 1973,

a previously-unknown fissure in the Earth beneath the small Icelandic island of Heimaey opened up less than a mile from the town of Vestmannaeyjar, which had a population of about 5,000 at the time. Within a day’s time, almost the entire island was safely evacuated, and geologists began to monitor the eruption. The newly-formed Eldfell volcano erupted for about six months, covering much of Vestmannaeyjar in ash, destroying several hundred homes, and sending lava flows toward the harbor—at one point raising the water temperature to 111° F (44° C). An enormous and largely-successful effort was made to slow and control the lava flow by pumping seawater and spraying the leading edge of the flows. Within a year after the end of the eruption, most residents had returned, and today, the island remains inhabited, with a population of about 4,500.

photos from skjalasafn Heimaey

[boymosher-420]

Elephants in Stone: Elephant-Like Rock Formations in Heimaey, Iceland, and Mokuhooniki, Hawaii

The first image showcases Heimaey, an island off the coast of Iceland renowned for its dramatic volcanic landscapes. Towering cliffs sculpted by millennia of volcanic activity blend rugged basalt with patches of vibrant green moss. The scene highlights Iceland’s untamed beauty and the geological forces that shaped this remote and captivating island.

The second image displays the Elephant Rock of Mokuhooniki in Hawaii. This remarkable natural formation resembles an elephant, complete with a “trunk” extending into the ocean. Created from ancient lava flows and sculpted by the relentless forces of wind and waves, this rock formation stands amid sparkling blue waters, exemplifying Hawaii’s breathtaking volcanic artistry.

[mothmiso]

Iceland - Heimaey Island (2) (3) (4) (5) by Mike Fitzpatrick

Via Flickr:

(1) (2) Herjölfstown Stone House (4) Rugged Cliffs of Blatindur Headland     

[boringiceland]

Frá bátsferðinni í kringum Heimaey

[julio-viernes]

Elephant Rock en la isla de Heimaey, en el archipiélago de las Islas Westman, Islandia.

[afrotumble]

Boat tours to see Elephant Rock often double as an opportunity to explore the rich marine life and other geological wonders around the island, making it a highlight of any visit to Vestmannaeyjar.

Elephant Rock, an awe-inspiring natural formation off the coast of Heimaey in the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago, captivates visitors with its uncanny resemblance to an elephant dipping its trunk into the sea.

[fraumogehtaufreisen]

Heute ging es von Vik aus auf die Westmannerinseln.

Erster halt war Dyrhólaey mit den Felsformationen und dem ewigen schwarzen Strand.

Auf dem Weg waren heute wieder beeindruckende Wasserfälle wie der Skógafoss und der Seljalandsfoss, um die zum Teil auch herumgewandert werden konnte.

Außerdem kam man an einigen sehr alten Häusern vorbei, die an Felshöhlen angebaut worden sind.

Dann ging es auf die Fähre. Eine kurze Überfahrt mit Wellengang und netten Isländern, die Geschichte zu den Inseln erzählten und deren vulkanischer Aktivitäten. Die Inseln waren schon vor der Besiedlung Islands immer mal wieder phasenweise bewohnt.

Die Insel Heimaey hat sich in den 70 Jahren maßgeblich vergrößert, als hier der Vulkan Eldfell ausgebrochen ist und alle Menschen evakuiert werden mussten. Neben einer Menge Schaden und der Vergrößerung der Insel hat doe Lava des Vulkanausbruchs den Hafen extrem gesichert.

Die zweitgrößte Insel ist bspw. Erst in den 60 Jahren bei einem Vulkanausbruch entstanden.

Ich bin gespannt was ich hier morgen für einen Eindruck habe. Heute Nacht stehen ich auf jeden Fall wunderschön aber etwas schräg und ich bin gespannt wie ich hier wieder rauskommen werde übermorgen:-)