Location of the eruption on Fimmvörðuháls / Eyjafjallajökull
The volcanic eruption on Fimmvörðuháls (next to Eyjafjallajökull) has attracted a lot of attention, but precise data and visualizations of the fissure location have been hard to find.
But I did find data on the location, length and orientation of the fissure in this news article on ruv.is (Icelandic), and that location seems to fit well with an infra-red satellite photo on the Institute of Earth Sciences website. This location and orientation also seems to match the helicopter photos taken this evening — it does seem like the pictures are not taken under as large an angle of incidence as the helicopter’s height would imply, but I suppose that’s hard to eyeball. So this location is probably a fair guess.
I put together the following in Google Earth:
- this estimated position of the fissure (guessing a length of 750m lengd, in the middle of the 0.5-1km range given on ruv.is).
- the locations of Baldvinsskáli (mountain hut) and Básar (end of the hiking trail) based on Google Earth map imagery
- two GPS trails (trail 1, trail 2) posted by travelers on Wikiloc
- the coordinates of the helicopter TF-SIF when the three photos on the Coast Guard website were taken this evening
The fissure appears to lie right across the Fimmvörðuháls hiking trail, on the Brattafönn (Steep Snow) slope.
Here is a KMZ file for Google Earth with this data, and below is an overview photo of the data, and a close-up showing the fissure crossing the hiking trail.
The images indicate the copyright held by Google and others on map imagery.
Enjoy, and please let me know if some of this can be corrected/improved.
March 25th, 2010 at 11:28 am
Hi
I am not sure if you got my previous message as there was an error that occured when I pressed the submit button.
I came across your blog and found it an interesting read.
I was wondering if the Fimmvörðuháls hiking trail is still open to the public as I would like to get fairly close to the volcano to photograph it. I see there are tours that take you to the base of it but they are very expensive and I am trying to find an alternate way of getting to it or any good vantage points that can be reached in a normal car.
Any information you have would be really helpfull.
Thanks in advance
Paul
March 25th, 2010 at 3:07 pm
Hi Paul,
Hiking Fimmvörðuháls from the south side (from Skógar) is permitted now, but they urge people to be careful and well-prepared, and they stress that you are there on your own, the responsibility is all yours.
The glacier itself (Eyjafjallajökull) and Þórsmörk are still no-access zones, and the road up Fimmvörðuháls is closed to cars because it’s too wet.
You would drive to Skógar, which is perfectly reachable in a normal car, and hike up from there. You should register at Skógar so that they know you’re there in case you get into trouble. Expect to take about five hours to reach the top in good conditions — but whether you get good conditions is a total crapshoot. I’ve been lost there in a blizzard, half my group needed to be rescued back off the mountain, one of us got hypothermia … and this was in July. Weather up there changes real fast, so dress and pack accordingly.
Landsbjörg has this advice for you, which I’ll translate here:
Also, since you will probably be carrying expensive and heavy photo gear, make sure you pack it nice and waterproof — and make sure you are ready to carry it all along with your food and other necessities for ten hours.
Can’t blame you, I really want to go there myself! Just make sure you take the place seriously; people have died up there in more favorable seasons than this. Enjoy!
March 29th, 2010 at 8:10 pm
This is a great post and so helpful. Thanks!
I was wondering if you thought this was a possible option for late April: drive to Skógar in the morning, see the skogarfoss waterfall and then begin to hike to the volcano, reach the volcano in the late evening and stay to see it after sundown, then hike back and drive into reykjavik.
I’m assuming this would be pretty strenuous as we wont return until very late and it will be a full day of hiking but is there anything else I should consider (e.g. hiking the trail at night).
Thanks again,
Ben
March 29th, 2010 at 9:13 pm
That’s possible, but you’d better be in pretty good shape, and tolerant of long waking hours. Make really sure your GPS batteries are going to last (the nights are still dark in late April), and follow all of the above tips. You will be quite tired, so falling asleep at the wheel on the way back is a real risk. You might want to plan for a fallback option, e.g. staying at Skógar or nearby. Then again, you ought to make that your main option. :)
April 4th, 2010 at 6:09 pm
Hi! I am planning to come to Iceland next week and planning to visit the volcano as cheaply as possible. Could you give me a hint, is it possible to camp around the volcano, is camping forbidden at the moment (due to hazard risk or due to some other reason). I would find your opinion most helpful as an independent femal solo traveller.
April 5th, 2010 at 1:23 am
Hi Anna. Camping is allowed, but only on designated campgrounds (I’m pretty sure). The eruption is right in the middle of a popular hiking trail; there is a campground and some cabins in Básar on the northern end of the trail, and I think also a campground in Skógar at the southern end. At least the cabins are open, probably the campgrounds too, but I’m not sure. You should ask either at the Hvolsvöllur info center, tel. +354 487 8043, email tourinfo@hvolsvollur.is, or at the Útivist travel company, +354 562 1000, utivist@utivist.is about availability and prices. There is also a cabin up on the mountain itself, two miles from the eruption I think, but I would imagine that’s booked solid (and if not, then it’s still probably not your cheapest option). As for camping up there — you don’t want to do that. :) (And almost certainly are not allowed to.) Kynnisferðir operate bus transportation and also scheduled day tours, see their website. For just the bus ride I see inconsistent fares quoted, so you should just ask them. Have a good trip!
April 16th, 2010 at 1:01 am
I guess going up there is no longer an option, right? I’ve been there two years ago. It would be so exciting to go up there now!:( Damm, it was exciting even without the volcano!:) Thanks for the post!
April 16th, 2010 at 7:56 pm
We were wondering about the location as well:
http://en.vedur.is/about-imo/news/2010/nr/1862
has links to a map of the first eruptions and lava flows, confirming it does lie on the hiking trail. Follow “updated map” for a detailed topographic map running from the Thorsmork valley (Krossa river) in the north, to the track and emergency hut on the south (below 1042)
May 30th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
Hi, I saw someone has asked at March that is it possible to go up there by car and it was too wet at the time, but now, I’m coming there at 30.6.-9.7. and I was hoping to get close to the volcano and see how much damage it has caused, I have rented Hummer H3 and I don’t have time for hike by foot that takes days, so is it possible now to get up there by car?
May 30th, 2010 at 6:46 pm
Damage? It’s an unpopulated area. Lava changed the landscape a little, but it was mostly bare rock already. Not sure what kind of damage you expect to see.
The hike by foot does not take days, it takes about 4-5 hours each way, in absolutely beautiful surroundings. If you really want to hummer your way past that, check with Iceland Search-And-Rescue or Icelandic Touring Association or Útivist, they ought to be able to tell you whether it’s permitted, and give you some advice. You will need to know how to drive in rough terrain, cross rivers, etc. I suggest the hike.