Eruption on the Holuhraun, thick smoke columns

• Iceland
• Norðurland

Description

Huge smoke columns on the glacier shores. Holuhraun is a large lava field just north of the Vatnajökull ice cap, in the Icelandic Highlands, in Suður-Þingeyjarsýsla, Northeastern Region, Iceland. The lava field was created by fissure eruptions. After a research expedition in 1880, the lava field was initially called Kvislarhraun. Four years later, it received its current name by the geologist and geographer, Þorvaldur Thoroddsen. Holuhraun is the site of a volcanic eruption which began on 29 August 2014 and produced a lava field of more than 85 km2 (33 sq mi) and 1.4 km3 (0.34 cu mi) – the largest in Iceland since 1783.