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Article: Surtsey.(Icelandic volcanic island)
- Article from:
- Faces: People, Places, and Cultures
- Article date:
- May 1, 2000
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2000 Carus Publishing Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The Island That Rose From the Sea
Without any warning, a massive volcanic eruption sent a column of Wash about 30,000 feet into the sky. The eruption occurred close to a group of islands off the southern coast of Iceland's mainland. So great was the eruption, in November 1963, that it could be seen in Reykjavik, 65 miles away.
Iceland itself is thought to be a series of volcanic islands joined together more than 15 million years ago. It is located over one of the earth's "hot spots," a place where the mantle permits large amounts of energy and materials to escape.
What made the eruption so remarkable was that it formed a new island in only a ...