When did Laki first erupt?
1783-1784
In 1783, a mysterious dry fog enveloped the continent of Europe, blood-red sunsets were reported throughout the summer, and many reported a sulfuric smell, breathing difficulties and sore eyes.
When was Laki most famous eruption?
1783-84
Saturday marks the 230th anniversary of the famed Laki eruption in Iceland. One of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history, it had a profound impact on people living in the Northern Hemisphere for years afterward.
How long did Iceland’s Laki volcano erupt in 1783?
eight months
The Laki eruption lasted eight months during which time about 14 cubic km of basaltic lava and some tephra were erupted. Haze from the eruption was reported from Iceland to Syria.
How many people died in the eruption of Laki?
9.000 people
More than 9.000 people were killed by the direct effects of the eruption, like lava and poisonous gases. The ash was carried away with the wind and poisoned the land and the sea, killing half of the Icelandic cattle population and a quarter of the sheep and horses population.
What volcano erupted in 1700s?
The Laki volcanic fissure in southern Iceland erupted over an eight-month period from 8 June 1783 to February 1784, spewing lava and poisonous gases that devastated the island’s agriculture, killing much of the livestock. It is estimated that perhapsa quarter of Iceland’s population died through the ensuing famine.
What does Laki mean in Icelandic?
Laki or Lakagígar is a volcanic fissure in the south of Iceland, not far from the canyon of Eldgjá and the small village Kirkjubæjarklaustur. Lakagígar is the correct name, as Laki mountain itself did not erupt, but fissures opened up on each side of it.
Is Mount Laki still active?
Although Laki is dormant today, it left huge evidence of its destructive power, including the craters. The volcanic system erupted heavily over an eight month period from June 1783, pouring out over 42 billion tons of basalt lava.
How many times has Laki erupted?
One study states that the event “occurred as ten pulses of activity, each starting with a short-lived explosive phase followed by a long-lived period of fire-fountaining”. Grímsvötn volcano, from which the Laki fissure extends, also erupted at the time, from 1783 until 1785….1783 eruption.
| 1783 eruption of Laki | |
|---|---|
| VEI | 4 |
Where did Laki erupt?
southern Iceland
Laki, volcanic fissure and mountain in southern Iceland, just southwest of Vatna Glacier (Vatnajokull), the island’s largest ice field. Mount Laki was the only conspicuous topographic feature in the path of the developing fissure eruption that is now known as Lakagígar (English: “Laki Craters”).
What kind of volcano is Laki?
shield volcano
The Laki volcano is also part of a chain of volcanoes that form from a hotspot. The Laki volcano is a shield volcano, meaning that the volcano is a large, gently sloped volcano made entirely out of lava (volcanoes form when lava or pyroclastic material builds up around a vent).