Complete Guide to the 2021 Volcanic Eruption in Geldingadalur Valley by Fagradalsfjall Volcano

Photographing Fagradalsfjall Volcano

Visiting and marveling over the eruption at Fagradalsfjall was a breathtaking experience that many guests caught on camera. This phenomenon's videos and photographs inspire awe in anyone seeking them online and provide incredible mementos that lucky travelers can treasure for life.

When visiting, you'll be able to capture the field of new lava fields with a good camera or by flying over with a drone.

Before rushing to the site with all your technical equipment, know the rules of flying drones in Iceland. While we have an article on flying drones in Iceland where you can learn about this in-depth, the main restrictions for their use at Fagradalsfjall are below:

• The drone must be marked with your name, address, and phone number
• The drone cannot exceed 25 kilograms
• Keep the drone below 250 meters
• Do not fly over the crowds
• Keep your drone away from other drones and far away from any crewed aircraft.

• See also: Photography in Iceland

How does Fagradalsfjall Volcano Compare to Other Icelandic Volcanoes?

Despite its epic beauty and awe-inspiring power, Fagradalsfjall was not just minor compared to Iceland's recent eruptions; it was practically minuscule.

Out of all the eruptions that have happened here since 2010, it most resembles Holuhraun. Both were effusive eruptions that opened in a lava landscape rather than beneath a glacier. Holuhraun produced the most extensive lava field that Iceland has seen since 1783, covering an area of over 9.1 square feet (85 square kilometers) and thus absolutely dwarfing this Fagradalsfjall eruption, which covered just 5.1 square miles (4.8 square kilometers).

• See also: 15 Incredible Photographs of the Holuhraun Volcano in Iceland

Eyjafjallajokull and Grimsvotn, meanwhile, have very little in common with Fagradalsfjall. Both of these were enormous, explosive eruptions that occurred under ice caps, producing a different range of much more severe dangers. They released vast ash clouds that grounded flights, poisoned crops, and triggered evacuations in the surrounding areas due to the risk of glacial floods and pyroclastic flows.

• See also: Volcanic Eruptions in Iceland: A History of Fire

Although the above eruptions were more extraordinary volcanic events than Fagradalsfjall, they lacked easy accessibility. Holuhraun and Grimsvotn are both in the central Highlands, and while Eyjafjallajokull's South Coast location isn't hard to reach, its ash cloud stopped many prospective admirers from getting to it!

Fagradalsfjall's eruption site, meanwhile, was less than an hour's drive from Reykjavik, less than half an hour from Keflavik International Airport, and around fifteen minutes from the Blue Lagoon.

• See also: Documentaries About Icelandic Volcanoes

Formation of Fagradalsfjall Volcano

The Fagradalsfjall volcano is a relatively "young" part of Iceland; all of the Reykjanes peninsula is. This means that it was only formed by magma rising from the core of the earth recently - that is to say, over the past seven million years. The oldest parts of Iceland in the Westfjords are 16 million years old by comparison, and the oldest exposed land on earth in Australia dates back an incomprehensible four billion years.

This can be explained by the fact that Iceland was formed by a weakness in the Mid-Atlantic Rift, the separating divide between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. As these plates pull apart, magma rises to the surface and creates new land.

The closer to the Mid-Atlantic Rift, the newer the land, and this valley runs right along the length of the narrow Reykjanes Peninsula. The region is home to the Bridge Between the Continents, where you can walk from one plate to the other. 

As such, Reykjanes is incredibly volcanic, and this activity is written all over its landscapes. Very little vegetation can grow on the endless plains of lava; geothermal areas seethe and bubble in many different spots, and cone-shaped volcanoes dominate the horizon. Eruptions occur very regularly - although, again, we are speaking in geological terms, as the last was 800 years ago. 

Geldingadalur had not erupted for 800 years before 2021, although there had long been a magma chamber here. Many of Iceland's volcanoes exist this way, lying dormant until an unexpected fire and fumes are released.

The eruptions that have formed the Reykjanes peninsula landscapes have defined the region's way of life for centuries. It became a center of the country's fishing industry for early Icelanders as settlers could not grow food or feed livestock on the lifeless terrain. 

More recently, the volcanism of Reykjanes has led to a significant number of attractions for tourists to the area.

For example, you can embark on adventures into lava tunnels, quad bikes across black sand beaches, and enjoy relaxing, guided sightseeing tours!

Fagradalsfjall Volcano Since Settlement

Fagradalsfjall has mainly remained uninhabited since settlement; the nearest town is Grindavik, about seven kilometers away. This is because of steep-sloped valleys, which essentially prevent the area from being easily accessible. Furthermore, its inland location was useless to the fishing communities who relied on the seas to survive.

Little-explored places such as Geldingadalur, however, had an enormous impact on the history and culture of the Reykjanes Peninsula. The region's folklore of elves, ghosts, and witches is heavily inspired by the misty, desolate, and dangerous landscapes that the volcanoes have created. 

Places such as the ruins of Selatangar, the hot springs of Gunnuhver, and the troll pool of Brimketill are all steeped in fascinating fables. 

Aside from its recent eruption, Fagradalsfjall has its own story in Iceland's history, although the tale is true and tragic. In 1943, during the Allied occupation of the country during World War Two, the famous bomber plane 'Hot Stuff' was caught in bad weather during a mid-Atlantic fuelling stop and crashed into the mountainside. 

• See also: Folklore in Iceland

Fourteen of the fifteen passengers on board died, including Frank Maxwell Andrews, the US Army Air Forces founder and a decorated Lieutenant General.

Andrews has plenty of monuments to his name across the world for his work in both World Wars, and there is one dedicated to him and the plane's other victims in Iceland. It was originally erected in 2018 by Fagradalsfjall, but in 2023, it was moved because of risk from the volcanic eruptions. It's now located at the intersection of the roads Reykjanesbraut and Grindavikurvegur.

• See also: The History of Iceland

Future of the Fagradalsfjall Volcano

Due to the first and second eruptions' unfortunate overlap with the Covid-19 pandemic, many were unable to make the journey to witness the eruption. The 2023 eruption near Litli-Hrutur was as accessible and visitor-friendly as its predecessors, with many people taking the opportunity to see the eruption up close during the month that it lasted.

Because of reoccurring eruptions by Sundhnukagigar, it's not possible to let visitors in the area while this volcanic event develops. Some lucky ones have been able to see it from a distance from high points in the Capital Region and Keflavik. The area remains closed, and the only way to see the aftermath of the eruption up close is with helicopter tours.

The Fagradalsfjall area may erupt again in the future, though no one knows when. Experts continue monitoring the area closely. You never know when a new eruption will start, as there have already been seven eruptions in four years!

If seeing an erupting volcano is on your bucket list, it's always good to keep an eye on Iceland. The gap between this eruption and the country's last, at Holuhraun in 2014, was notably long, with new volcanic events usually occurring every few years. Grimsvotn's eruption, for example, was just three years before Holuhraun, and Eyjafjallajokull just a year before that.

Katla, Bardabunga, and Grimsvotn are all considered overdue and under constant surveillance.

Do you have any more questions about the eruption at Geldingadalir? Did you go see the volcano for yourself? Let us know in the comments below!