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Emerging Volcano and Geothermal Related Tourism in Iceland 217

colonization. It has been the site of one of the few area by some 20 per cent. In the end, the harbour
long-term studies worldwide on primary succession, entrance was narrowed considerably but not
providing a unique scientific record of the process closed off, and the new lava flow acted as a
of colonization of land by plants, animals and breakwater, actually improving the shelter afforded
marine organisms. Not only is it geographically by the harbour. Flakkarinn rafted several hundred
isolated, but it has been legally protected from its metres towards the harbour along the top of the
birth, providing the world with a pristine natural lava flow, but came to a halt well away from the
laboratory, free from human interference. Above all, water’s edge.
because of its continuing protection, Surtsey will By the end of the eruption, Eldfell stood
continue to provide invaluable data on biological about 220 metres above sea level. Since then, its
colonization long into the future, since the degree height has dropped by 18 to 20 metres due to
to which the island remains undisturbed is slumping and compacting of the unconsolidated
outstanding. Apart from a small helicopter platform gravelly tephra as well as to wind erosion. The
and a cabin for research work, the island is islanders have planted grass around the lower
undisturbed. While there is no tourism on the slopes of the otherwise bare hill, to stabilize it
island, visitors to Vestmannaeyjar often visit the area against further erosion, and eventually it is expected
by taking flights over it or boat trips to view it that most of the volcano will be covered by grass,
from the sea. as neighbouring Helgafell is.
The volcanoes of Heimaey Tourism in Vestmannaeyjar
Heimaey is the only inhabited island in The islands are famed in Iceland for their yearly
Vestmannaeyjar. The most prominent feature on festival which attracts a large portion of the
Heimaey before 1973 was Helgafell, a 200m high nation’s youth (Ruriksson, 1995). The festival was
volcanic cone formed in an eruption about originally held in 1874 concurrent with Iceland’s
5000 years ago. However, on 23 January 1973 a celebration commemorating the 1000th
volcanic eruption began without warning on the anniversary of the inhabitation of Iceland.
island just outside the town. This eventually led to Vestmannaeyjar residents had been prevented by
the formation of a new volcanic cone Eldfell (Fire weather from sailing to the mainland for the
Mountain), which is 220m high. festivities and thus celebrated locally. Over the last
During the initial eruption a fissure opened century, the festival has grown to become the
up on the eastern side of the island, barely a largest festival in Iceland, with an annual attendance
kilometre away from the centre of the town of of 10,000, with up to 7000 travelling from
Heimaey (Bárðarson and Jónasdótter, 2003). The mainland Iceland.
fissure rapidly extended from 300m to a length of On the main island of Heimaey, the 1973
2km, crossing the island from one shore to the eruption of Eldfell created a 1.5km fissure which
other. Submarine activity also occurred just split the eastern side of the island. The eruption
offshore at the northern and southern ends of the area formed a new mountain and the island
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fissure. Spectacular lava fountaining 50 to increased in size by 2.3km . One third of the town
150 metres high occurred along the whole fissure, on the island was buried beneath the lava flow and
which reached a maximum length of about 3km today the resulting cinder cone is a major tourist
during the first few hours of the eruption, but drawcard (Figure 14.8). The marketing of
activity soon became concentrated on one vent, Vestmannaeyjar for tourists is now focused on its
about 0.8km north of the old volcanic cone of volcanic heritage with its latest brochure entitled
Helgafell and just outside the eastern edge of the ‘Vestmannaeyjar: Volcanic World’ (Figure 14.9). It
town. has given rise to the local tourist attraction of a
In total, the volume of lava and tephra emitted volcanic film show which focuses on the eruption
during the five-month eruption was estimated to as well as the new Volcanic World tourist attraction
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be about 0.25km . About 2.5km of new land was based on excavations of some of the islanders’
added to the island, increasing its pre-eruption houses buried by the Eldfell eruption.

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