Askja

Askja ([ˈasca] ) is an active volcano situated in a remote part of the central highlands of Iceland. The name Askja refers to a complex of nested calderas within the surrounding Dyngjufjöll [ˈtiɲcʏˌfjœtl̥] mountains, which rise to 1,514 m (4,967 ft), askja meaning box or caldera in Icelandic.[3]

This article is about the volcano. For the building in Reykjavík, see Askja (building).
Askja
Askja caldera in 1984
Highest point
Elevation1,516 m (4,974 ft)[1]
ListingVolcanoes of Iceland
Coordinates65°01′59″N 16°46′59″W[2]
Geography
Askja
Parent rangeDyngjufjöll
Geology
Mountain typecaldera
Last eruptionOctober to December 1961[2]

Geography

The Askja central volcano is 20 km (12 mi) in diameter and is associated with the Askja volcanic system which has a 190 km (120 mi) long fissure swarm that extends north from beneath the Vatnajökull glacier towards the north coast of Iceland.[4] The Hrúthálsar area which is 20–30 km (12–19 mi) to the north-east is now usually regarded as part of the system.[4]

The central volcano region is only accessible for a few months of the year. Being situated in the rain shadow to the northeast of the Vatnajökull glacier, the area receives only about 450 mm (18 in) of rainfall annually.

NASA

The area was used by NASA during training for the Apollo program to prepare astronauts for the lunar missions. Their main objective in Askja was to study geology. The Astronaut Monument in Húsavík lists the 32 astronauts who participated.[5][6]

Eruptions

Most eruptions are small, basaltic and effusive.[4]

Askja was virtually unknown until a large subplinian eruption which started on March 28, 1875. It had been active since 1 January 1875.[2] This was followed by the devastating rhyolitic phreatoplinian explosion on March 29, 1875,[4][7] which erupted 0.33 km3 (0.079 cu mi) dense-rock equivalent.[8] The eruption finished on 17 October 1875.[2] Locally around the caldera this ash fall on snow cover has resulted in the formation of a layer of permafrost ice.[8] Especially in the Eastfjords of Iceland, the ashfall was heavy enough to poison the land and kill livestock. Ash, or tephra from this eruption was wind-blown to Norway, Sweden, Germany and Poland.[8] The eruption triggered a substantial wave of emigration from Iceland.

Another less well-known large rhyolitic eruption, called Askja-S (Skolli), occurred in the early Holocene, 10,824 ± 97 years BP.[4][9] Tephra from this eruption has been found in south-east Sweden, Northern Ireland and north Norway and recently as far south as Romania, which makes it one of the most far-travelled Icelandic tephras.[9]

The last eruption of Askja was between 26 October and 5 December 1961 near the northern rim of the caldera.[2] It produced the 0.1 km3 (0.024 cu mi) basaltic Vikrahraun lava flow and also near the caldera another local permafrost layer under the 0.004 km3 (0.00096 cu mi) of tephra.[8][4]

The outer caldera of Askja, representing a prehistoric eruption, is about 50 km2 (19 sq mi) in area, and there is evidence of other later caldera-forming events within it. These include the main summit caldera, that is about 8 km (5.0 mi) in diameter, to its north-east the {{cvt|4|km}] diameter Kollur caldera, and the 1875 Öskjuvatn caldera with a diameter of about 5 km (3.1 mi). The main crater floor lies at about 1,100 m (3,600 ft).[4]

Eruptions
Start Date[2] End Date[2] VEI[2] Scale[4] Tephra volume
(km3)[4]		 Comments
December 5, 1961 October 26, 1961 2 Small 0.004
December 19, 1938 Un­known 2 Small Un­known
July 15, 1926 2 Moderate Un­known Lasted about 45 days, Thorvaldshraun lava[10]
1924 Un­known 0 Small Un­known
January 15, 1923 0 Small Un­known Lasted about 45 days
November 1922 Un­known 0 Small Un­known
March 1921 Un­known 0 Small Un­known
1919 Un­known 2 Small Un­known
January 1, 1875 October 17, 1875 5 Major 1.8
1797 Un­known 0 Small Un­known
1300 Un­known 1 Small Un­known
1250 ± 300 BCE Un­known 0 Small Un­known
2050 ± 500 BCE Un­known 0 Small Un­known
8874 ± 97 BCE Un­known 5 Major Un­known 1.5 ± 0.5 km3 DRE[9]

Activity

In June 2010, Volcano expert Hazel Rymer said seismic activity was increasing at Askja.[11] The increased earthquake activity was located to the northeast of the central volcano, in the direction of Herðubreið. It was ruled out that any activity from Eyjafjallajökull was responsible for the increase in activity at Askja. The news came as scientists continue to watch Katla. In early April 2012 it was noted that the lake in the caldera was totally clear of ice, which usually does not happen until in June or July in a normal year. It was believed that increased geothermal activity in the volcano is heating the lake. Travel in the area was restricted until further research could be carried out.[12]

In early September 2021, GPS and Satellite data showed that an inflation at the rate of five cm per month, most likely attributed to magma intrusion, of the caldera had started in August.[13] An Article published on September 9 from the Icelandic Meteorological Office(IMO) stated the Aviation Color Code was upgraded from "Green" to "Yellow" due to the changes.[14] The Article also says, "Next week IMO and the Institute of Earth Sciences (UÍ) will potentiate the monitoring network around Askja to allow a better coverage and surveillance of the volcano." On 9 November 2022 deformation data showed continuing magma accumulation at depth, with accumulated uplift of 40 cm (16 in) since August 2021.[2]

Öskjuvatn lake

Öskjuvatn is a large lake that fills much of the smaller caldera resulting from the 1875 eruption. Its surface lies about 50 m (160 ft) below the level of the main caldera floor and covers about 12 km2 (4.6 sq mi). When the lake originally formed it was warm, but today it is frozen over for most of the year. Öskjuvatn is the second deepest lake in Iceland at 220 m (720 ft) deep.[15]

Missing scientists

In 1907, the German scientists Walter von Knebel and Max Rudloff visited Askja to study the caldera. While exploring Öskjuvatn in a small boat, they disappeared without a trace. Von Knebel's fiancée Ina von Grumbkow led an expedition to search for them, but no indication of what happened to them was ever found. Recent observations on the effects of a landslide, on 21 July 2014, has led to renewed speculation that the scientists were killed by a similar sudden event, a massive wave similar to the one estimated to be 30 meters (98 feet) high seen in 2014.[16]

Sights and tourism in the area

The Dyngjufjöll mountains which surround the Askja caldera, also contain the Drekagil [ˈtrɛːkaˌcɪːl̥], the canyon of dragons. Within 25 km (16 mi) and 41 km (25 mi) of Askja, are two other volcanic systems: Herðubreið and Kverkfjöll.

Askja is a popular tourist destination. There are two mountain huts and a campsite at Dreki [ˈtrɛːcɪ], by Drekagil, which is about 100 km (62 mi) by a 4x4 F-road, from the Icelandic ring-road. The road continues 8 km (5.0 mi) up from Dreki into the Askja caldera. It is a walk of about 2.5 km (1.6 mi) from the car park to Öskjuvatn and Víti [ˈviːtɪ]. The roads are usually only open for about three to four months, from late June until early October.

See also

References
  1. "Topographic map of Askja". opentopomap.org. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  2. "Askja". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  3. See e.g.: Stóra Tölvuorðabókin. Úfgáfa 6.0
  4. Thordarson, Thor; Hartley, Margaret (2021). "Catalogue of Icelandic Volcanoes:Askja Alternative name: Askja-Dyngjufjöll, Askja-Hrúthálsar".
  5. "Apollo astronauts revisit training area in Iceland and explore a new lava flow - The Exploration Museum". www.explorationmuseum.com. Archived from the original on 2019-04-02. Retrieved 2015-08-09.
  6. "Barnabörn Armstrongs afhjúpuðu minnisvarða". Retrieved 2015-08-09.
  7. Hartley, Margaret E.; Thordarson, Thor (2013-07-29). "The 1874-1876 volcano-tectonic episode at Askja, North Iceland: Lateral flow revisited". Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems. 14 (7): 2286–2309. Bibcode:2013GGG....14.2286H. doi:10.1002/ggge.20151. ISSN 1525-2027. S2CID 53587010.
  8. Shoemaker, E.S.; Baker, D.M.H.; Richardson, J.A.; Carter, L.M.; Scheidt, S.P.; Whelley, P.L.; Young, K.E. (2024). "Mapping ice buried by the 1875 and 1961 tephra of Askja Volcano, Northern Iceland using ground‐penetrating radar: Implications for Askja Caldera as a geophysical testbed for in situ resource utilization". Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets. 129 (4): e2023JE007834. doi:10.1029/2023JE007834.
  9. Kearney, R.; Albert, P.G.; Staff, R.A.; Pál, I.; Veres, D.; Magyari, E.; Ramsey, C.B. (2018). "Ultra-distal fine ash occurrences of the Icelandic Askja-S Plinian eruption deposits in Southern Carpathian lakes: New age constraints on a continental scale tephrostratigraphic marker". Quaternary Science Reviews. 188: 174–182. Bibcode:2018QSRv..188..174K. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2018.03.035.
  10. Hartley, M.E.; Thordarson, T.; de Joux, A. (2016). "Postglacial eruptive history of the Askja region, North Iceland". Bulletin of Volcanology. 78: 1–18. Bibcode:2016BVol...78...28H. doi:10.1007/s00445-016-1022-7.
  11. Emma Pryer (2010-06-10). "Volcano expert warns of another Icelandic eruption". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  12. "Photos: Iceless Iceland Volcano Lake Causes Speculation". Iceland Review. Archived from the original on 2 July 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  13. "Land rís við Öskju | Fréttir".
  14. "Uncertainty level declared for the ongoing uplift at Askja volcano | News". Icelandic Meteorological office. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
  15. "Jökulsárlón now Iceland's deepest Lake". Iceland Review. Archived from the original on 29 March 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  16. "Old Askja Case Solved? (ESA)". Iceland Review. Archived from the original on 12 October 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2014.

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