|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
. | ![]() |
. |
|
![]() |
![]() by Brooks Hays Vatnaj�Kull, Iceland (UPI) Sep 22, 2014
Iceland's Bardarbunga volcano is a prolific producer of lava, and thanks to its impressive magmatic output, the island nation is growing. The activity within the Bardarbunga volcanic system is due to the fact that two massive tectonic plates, the Eurasian Plate and the North American Plate, are drifting apart. As they move away from each other, magma underneath Barbarbunga is rising up to fill the gap and helping to grow the size of the country. The Bardarbunga lava field now stretches more that 14 square miles in size. "That corresponds about to the size of Manhattan," Rikke Pedersen, a researcher with the Nordic Volcanological Center at the University of Iceland, recently told NPR. You can watch Iceland's growing pains in real time, as two cameras remain pointed at Bardarbunga -- the live feeds are here and here. In addition to the lava flow, the shifting plates have also caused an extraordinary number of earthquakes. Iceland officials say there have been 20,000 small earthquakes recorded in the last month. It's not clear when all the seismic activity will die down. Though officials say the last couple of weeks have been slightly quieter than the two before, officials wrote in a recent press release that there "is no significant change in the flow of lava and it is still too soon to say if the volcanic eruption is beginning to fade out."
Related Links Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters When the Earth Quakes A world of storm and tempest
|
![]() |
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service. |