Pele´s hair: A fascinating phenomenon created by the volcano 10. september 2014 13:45 Pele´s hair feels like a lock of hair when you hold it, but it's actually rock. photo/þorvaldur þórðarson/university of iceland A fascinating phenomenon known as Pele´s hair can be seen blowing away from the eruption site at Dyngjusandur. It was also seen in the Laki eruption in 1783. "It was noticed blowing all around the fissure, but no one could explain or understand why. It looks like tufts of hair and feels like glass wool. At first people thought this was vegetation that had been affected by the eruption somehow, but there's no plant life in sight. It can't be sheep wool either because there are no sheep," says journalist Kristján Már Unnarsson, who has been reporting from the scene since the eruption started. "Then someone remembered the old texts about the Laki eruption from 230 years ago. The texts mentioned something similar, and it is believed to be the oldest known reference to the phenomenon. Turns out that it's neither flora or fauna, but a mineral by-product of the eruption." In Icelandic it's called Witch´s hair while the international name refers to Pele, the Hawaiian volcano god. "It feels like a lock of hair when you hold it, but it's actually rock. It's glass that's cooled down as the magma erupts from the fissure. The gas pressure is so great that it blows the magma into thin strands, almost like hair. Then it falls to the ground and starts blowing along and bundles up," says volcanologist Þorvaldur Þórðarsson. News in English Tengdar fréttir Magnificent images of the volcanic eruption Last night lava from the eruption encompassed over nine square kilometers. 4. september 2014 07:34 The sulphur taste in your mouth will turn into sulphuric acid in your lungs The Holuhraun eruption is still ongoing, but scientists are setting off to determine if the pressure in the magma chamber has gone down or just moved elsewhere. Right now the primary concern is the presence of gas in the area. 2. september 2014 16:08 Seven eruptions in Bárðarbunga area so far Magma has reached the surface 7 times in the past 3 weeks - which makes 7 eruptions. 10. september 2014 13:25 "A feast for photographers" The Holuhraun eruption has been ongoing for almost a week now, and many photographers dream of taking photos of it, but only media photographers are allowed into the area. 4. september 2014 13:25 Extent of the lava is now approximately 19 square km The eruptive activity at Holuhraun continues at similar intensity. The eruption sites are the same as before. 8. september 2014 14:17 Volcanic activity could go on for years "There's gonna be activity here for a few years. Not this particular eruption, it'll end and another one will start up elsewhere, and this will clearly erupt in a glacier," said volcanologist Ármann Höskuldsson last night. 4. september 2014 13:19 Mest lesið „Ef þessi maður kemst út úr fangelsi mun hann drepa barnið mitt“ Innlent „Ef þið haldið mér áfram í fangelsi þá verður vandamál“ Innlent „Að láta taka sig ósmurt? Takk, en nei takk“ Innlent Þrír af hverjum fjórum sitja eftir með sárt ennið Innlent Segja Ásgeir Helga hafa verið 20 mínútur í stæðinu Innlent „Pabbi er að senda þér skilaboð og mamma vill fá að sjá hvað stendur“ Innlent Ósáttur með sætin og fær milljón endurgreidda Neytendur Ætlaði með allt of ungt barn í ferð og heimtaði endurgreiðslu Innlent Íris segir RÚV henda blautri og kaldri tusku í andlit sjómanna Innlent Ekki náttúruspjöll heldur forvarnir Innlent
A fascinating phenomenon known as Pele´s hair can be seen blowing away from the eruption site at Dyngjusandur. It was also seen in the Laki eruption in 1783. "It was noticed blowing all around the fissure, but no one could explain or understand why. It looks like tufts of hair and feels like glass wool. At first people thought this was vegetation that had been affected by the eruption somehow, but there's no plant life in sight. It can't be sheep wool either because there are no sheep," says journalist Kristján Már Unnarsson, who has been reporting from the scene since the eruption started. "Then someone remembered the old texts about the Laki eruption from 230 years ago. The texts mentioned something similar, and it is believed to be the oldest known reference to the phenomenon. Turns out that it's neither flora or fauna, but a mineral by-product of the eruption." In Icelandic it's called Witch´s hair while the international name refers to Pele, the Hawaiian volcano god. "It feels like a lock of hair when you hold it, but it's actually rock. It's glass that's cooled down as the magma erupts from the fissure. The gas pressure is so great that it blows the magma into thin strands, almost like hair. Then it falls to the ground and starts blowing along and bundles up," says volcanologist Þorvaldur Þórðarsson.
News in English Tengdar fréttir Magnificent images of the volcanic eruption Last night lava from the eruption encompassed over nine square kilometers. 4. september 2014 07:34 The sulphur taste in your mouth will turn into sulphuric acid in your lungs The Holuhraun eruption is still ongoing, but scientists are setting off to determine if the pressure in the magma chamber has gone down or just moved elsewhere. Right now the primary concern is the presence of gas in the area. 2. september 2014 16:08 Seven eruptions in Bárðarbunga area so far Magma has reached the surface 7 times in the past 3 weeks - which makes 7 eruptions. 10. september 2014 13:25 "A feast for photographers" The Holuhraun eruption has been ongoing for almost a week now, and many photographers dream of taking photos of it, but only media photographers are allowed into the area. 4. september 2014 13:25 Extent of the lava is now approximately 19 square km The eruptive activity at Holuhraun continues at similar intensity. The eruption sites are the same as before. 8. september 2014 14:17 Volcanic activity could go on for years "There's gonna be activity here for a few years. Not this particular eruption, it'll end and another one will start up elsewhere, and this will clearly erupt in a glacier," said volcanologist Ármann Höskuldsson last night. 4. september 2014 13:19 Mest lesið „Ef þessi maður kemst út úr fangelsi mun hann drepa barnið mitt“ Innlent „Ef þið haldið mér áfram í fangelsi þá verður vandamál“ Innlent „Að láta taka sig ósmurt? Takk, en nei takk“ Innlent Þrír af hverjum fjórum sitja eftir með sárt ennið Innlent Segja Ásgeir Helga hafa verið 20 mínútur í stæðinu Innlent „Pabbi er að senda þér skilaboð og mamma vill fá að sjá hvað stendur“ Innlent Ósáttur með sætin og fær milljón endurgreidda Neytendur Ætlaði með allt of ungt barn í ferð og heimtaði endurgreiðslu Innlent Íris segir RÚV henda blautri og kaldri tusku í andlit sjómanna Innlent Ekki náttúruspjöll heldur forvarnir Innlent
Magnificent images of the volcanic eruption Last night lava from the eruption encompassed over nine square kilometers. 4. september 2014 07:34
The sulphur taste in your mouth will turn into sulphuric acid in your lungs The Holuhraun eruption is still ongoing, but scientists are setting off to determine if the pressure in the magma chamber has gone down or just moved elsewhere. Right now the primary concern is the presence of gas in the area. 2. september 2014 16:08
Seven eruptions in Bárðarbunga area so far Magma has reached the surface 7 times in the past 3 weeks - which makes 7 eruptions. 10. september 2014 13:25
"A feast for photographers" The Holuhraun eruption has been ongoing for almost a week now, and many photographers dream of taking photos of it, but only media photographers are allowed into the area. 4. september 2014 13:25
Extent of the lava is now approximately 19 square km The eruptive activity at Holuhraun continues at similar intensity. The eruption sites are the same as before. 8. september 2014 14:17
Volcanic activity could go on for years "There's gonna be activity here for a few years. Not this particular eruption, it'll end and another one will start up elsewhere, and this will clearly erupt in a glacier," said volcanologist Ármann Höskuldsson last night. 4. september 2014 13:19