Le Jökulhlaup du Grimsvötn (Islande) du 5 Novembre 1996

The Jökulhlaup of Grimsvötn (Iceland) of 5th November 1996

Abstract

One of the greatest eruptions of the century occurred in Iceland between September 30th and October 14th 1996. From a series of fracture craters, situated below the Vatnajokull glacier, 500 million cubic metres of lava crupted! The phenomenon provoked the fusion of the overhanging glacier, that was about 600 m. thick, producing a mass of water estimated 9 billion cubic metres. This mass first gathered in the enormous caldera situated under the glacial layer; then, on November 5^th, it generated a giant jökulhlaup, i.d. an immense flood sweeping away enormous quantities of mud, rock and ice from the underlying sand plains into the sea, where the compact stream advanced for a good 200 km.