# Potential for major volcanic eruption in Iceland **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 19, 2014, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-for-major-volcanic-eruption-in-iceland/695868 "2014-08-19T02:30:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-for-major-volcanic-eruption-in-iceland/695868/21 "2014-08-20T21:45:20Z")
Already being discussed in another thread [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=731407). I have reported this thread for merging. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-for-major-volcanic-eruption-in-iceland/695868/22 "2014-08-20T22:31:38Z")
There is another thread on this (soon to be merged) that linked to a Slate article and you will be glad to know that there was an update posted today that “a large uninhabited area surrounding the volcano has been evacuated.” Whew… I was worried about those people who aren’t there. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-for-major-volcanic-eruption-in-iceland/695868/23 "2014-08-20T23:12:21Z")
> [@Spud](#): > > There is another thread on this (soon to be merged) that linked to a Slate article and you will be glad to know that there was an update posted today that “a large uninhabited area surrounding the volcano has been evacuated.” > > Whew… I was worried about those people who aren’t there. Heh. What they meant, of course, was that there were dome campers and hikers in the area. Not sure how many, probably fewer than a couple hundred, but if this thing goes off at the upper end of the estimates, I wouldn’t have given too much for their chances. ---
**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-for-major-volcanic-eruption-in-iceland/695868/24 "2014-08-21T18:10:32Z")
I have plans to fly to Europe on Aug. 30 for a 2 week tour. Hmmm, things could get interesting. Let’s see. Assuming an eruption that affects air travel: 1. Goes off before Aug. 30: trip gets cancelled. 2. Goes off between Aug. 30 and Sept. 12. Have to spend a little extra time in Europe. Could be worse. 🙂 3. Goes off after Sept. 12. No harm. J. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-for-major-volcanic-eruption-in-iceland/695868/25 "2014-08-21T20:32:56Z")
> [@jharvey963](#): > > I have plans to fly to Europe on Aug. 30 for a 2 week tour. Hmmm, things could get interesting. > > Let’s see. Assuming an eruption that affects air travel: > > 1. Goes off before Aug. 30: trip gets cancelled. > 2. Goes off between Aug. 30 and Sept. 12. Have to spend a little extra time in Europe. Could be worse. 🙂 > 3. Goes off after Sept. 12. No harm. > > J. Maybe you should make contingency plans to book passage home on a freighter 😉 ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-for-major-volcanic-eruption-in-iceland/695868/26 "2014-08-22T17:03:27Z")
> [@Spud](#): > > There is another thread on this (soon to be merged) that linked to a Slate article and you will be glad to know that there was an update posted today that “a large uninhabited area surrounding the volcano has been evacuated.” > > Whew… I was worried about those people who aren’t there. Yesterday, upon the stair, I met a man who wasn’t there. He wasn’t there again today, I think he’s from the CIA. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-for-major-volcanic-eruption-in-iceland/695868/27 "2014-08-22T19:31:39Z")
Personally, I’m outraged that a pissy little country like Iceland can threaten the world with volcanoes like this and get away with it. I think an invasion is in order. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-for-major-volcanic-eruption-in-iceland/695868/28 "2014-08-22T21:21:44Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Personally, I’m outraged that a pissy little country like Iceland can threaten the world with volcanoes like this and get away with it. I think an invasion is in order. This : ↑↑↑ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-for-major-volcanic-eruption-in-iceland/695868/29 "2014-08-23T00:58:52Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Personally, I’m outraged that a pissy little country like Iceland can threaten the world with volcanoes like this and get away with it. I think an invasion is in order. Dammit, Putin, is that You!? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-for-major-volcanic-eruption-in-iceland/695868/30 "2014-08-23T01:52:53Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Personally, I’m outraged that a pissy little country like Iceland can threaten the world with volcanoes like this and get away with it. I think an invasion is in order. It’s not the size of the dog in the fight; it’s the size of the fight in the dog. ---
**Author:** ![Barking\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Barking\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barking_Dog)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-for-major-volcanic-eruption-in-iceland/695868/31 "2014-08-23T02:07:25Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > Maybe you should make contingency plans to book passage home on a freighter 😉 Or, if stuck in europe, he might take the oppurtunity to circumnavigate the globe. Book passage on a train and head east and keep going til reaching China and take a flight from there. He’d probably be otherwise stranded for the roughly the same amount of time as it would take to reach Shanghai. So why not get an adventure out of it? ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-for-major-volcanic-eruption-in-iceland/695868/32 "2014-08-23T02:45:44Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Personally, I’m outraged that a pissy little country like Iceland can threaten the world with volcanoes like this and get away with it. I think an invasion is in order. This is why we need stronger anti-volcano treaties. Today it’s Iceland, and sure Iceland is harmless, they just want to [protect](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cod_war) their cod, but what of tomorrow? What if North Korea got hold of volcano technology? What about Iran, or ISIS? We’ve got to get the Volcano Non-proliferation Treaty signed! Write to your congressman, write to your senators, write to the president! Volcanoes are a threat to us all! _ **PAID FOR BY AMERICANS AGAINST VOLCANOES; NOT AFFILIATED WITH ANY CANDIDATE.** _ ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-for-major-volcanic-eruption-in-iceland/695868/33 "2014-08-23T03:31:42Z")
Oh sure, USA. Make like you’re the victims, you who overthrew a kingdom in the nineteenth century to gain control of the largest volcano on earth! And all those volcanoes suspiciously close to your neighbour’s third-largest city? Suuure, they’re ‘dormant’. I ‘believe’ you. Pull the other leg while you’re at it. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-for-major-volcanic-eruption-in-iceland/695868/34 "2014-08-23T09:42:59Z")
They’re a deterrent, that’s all; a deterrent. Anyway, there was a real risk of Russia opening up a Volcano Gap that would have put us at a huge disadvantage. We had no choice. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-for-major-volcanic-eruption-in-iceland/695868/35 "2014-08-23T14:53:24Z")
Iceland’s Met office now reporting that a (small, subglacial) eruption has begun. [http://en.vedur.is/](http://en.vedur.is/) > **[Bárdarbunga Eruption has Started](https://volcanocafe.wordpress.com/2014/08/23/bardarbunga-on-the-move/)** > > Update: Aviation Colour Code Red has been declared for the Volcano Bárdarbunga and the surrounding area. Icelandic Met Office helicopter observation confirms ongoing eruption that appears to be sma… ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-for-major-volcanic-eruption-in-iceland/695868/36 "2014-08-23T15:37:05Z")
Updates: [http://en.vedur.is/earthquakes-and-volcanism/articles/nr/2947](http://en.vedur.is/earthquakes-and-volcanism/articles/nr/2947) ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-for-major-volcanic-eruption-in-iceland/695868/37 "2014-08-23T16:22:46Z")
Here’s one more link that may be of use: > **[3dBulge](http://baering.github.io/)** > > Real time 3d visualization of the seismic activity in Bárðarbunga Near real-time 3D visual of volcanic earthquakes, plus webcam, updated every couple of minutes. Definite surface activity going on. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2014, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-for-major-volcanic-eruption-in-iceland/695868/38 "2014-08-29T00:33:16Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Here’s one more link that may be of use: > > [http://baering.github.io/](http://baering.github.io/) > > Near real-time 3D visual of volcanic earthquakes, plus webcam, updated every couple of minutes. > > Definite surface activity going on. (this later turned out to be windblown dust) Once again there is something, er, interesting going on, on the webcam. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2014, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-for-major-volcanic-eruption-in-iceland/695868/39 "2014-08-29T01:06:06Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > I’d like some Iceland ash for my collection but it’s too far for me to go to collect any. All you have to do is go to eBay and search for Iceland ash and you will find some sellers who have been thinking of your needs. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2014, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-for-major-volcanic-eruption-in-iceland/695868/40 "2014-08-29T01:13:32Z")
Iceland Met office confirms a fissure eruption has begun. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-for-major-volcanic-eruption-in-iceland/695868.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-for-major-volcanic-eruption-in-iceland/695868.md?page=3)