In the previous part I wrote that we would be investigating some of the largest sub-aerial volcanism on the planet as we took a closer look at this the largest known sub-aerial volcanic system in the world. And now it is time to look at volcanism on a stupendous scale. But before we do that…
At 07.55.04 Hekla suffered an earthquake of M0.9 at 0.7km depth under the west slope of Hekla proper. After that followed two badly localized small tremors before a second earthquake with a temporary solution of M0.6 at the same place and depth. After that came a final (so far) small tremor. This follows after ten days…
In this part of ”Off the beaten track” we will well and truly go off the beaten track, or perhaps we are getting to one of the most beaten tracks on the planet. You will have to be the judges of that. In this part volcanism takes on a scale of grandeur on an unprecedented…
In my last article I wrote about the Turkana, volcanism that is part of the Great African Rift. But unbeknownst to most this is just one of several rift systems in Africa that are tearing the continent apart. In this article we will be making an initial contact with an even larger, younger and far…
I readily admit to enjoying large scale volcanism. Yes, small scale volcanism like Tor Zawar may be a fun diversion, but it is the majestic scale that volcanism can take that get my juices flowing. By now I have touched upon most of the worlds large volcanic features at least in the passing, but there…
When you start to study volcanoes you inevitably start by studying the top of the volcano and you inevitably model your understanding about the volcano in reference to the cone or mountain that you see. Some volcanoes are even referred to as “perfect volcanoes” due to them being almost perfectly symmetrical. But, as we will…
The world of volcanism is not about being equal. There are small volcanoes, there are big volcanoes and then there is Mauna Loa. And until someone actually proves that the Tamu Massif is one single volcano and not a Large Igneous Province or a multiple volcano area I will continue to refer to Mauna Loa…
It is intriguing how differently two writers can interpret data. Both Albert and I have written about Jan Mayen, and out of basically the same available data we seem to interpret things quite differently. I expect that Albert and I are going to have quite some fun debating this article in the comment field, please…
I have lately read a lot of comments about Iceland being boring and calm. In reality nothing could be more wrong, Iceland is brimming with activity. So, let us take a quick look at some interesting volcanoes before we go to the namesake of this article. Volcanic activity in general If we start in the…
After writing the Woolly Mammoth Guide to Icelandic Volcanism I vowed to not write about Iceland for a while. That comment bit me in the posterior rather quickly. Since the cessation of the Holuhraun eruption the central volcano Bárðarbunga has been highly seismically active. Many people have fervently believed that this has been due to…