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Iceland Volcano's Fountain of Fire
Photograph by Christopher Lund
People stand silhouetted as lava spurts from Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull (pronounced AY-uh-full-ay-ho-kul) volcano on March 30, 2010—part of the ongoing eruption that started on March 21. (See more pictures of the Iceland volcano eruption.)
Bursting to life after 190 years, the glacier-capped volcano has drawn swarms of tourists eager to witness proof of Iceland's reputation as the land of fire and ice. Police estimate that more than 25,000 onlookers have visited Eyjafjallajökull since the volcano started erupting, according to the Reuters news service.
But tourists and residents still have reason to be wary: On Wednesday officials reported that the Iceland volcano eruption had opened a new fissure about 980 feet (300 meters) long that's spewing lava. Geologists think the new vent means that volcanic activity will start appearing farther north, endangering a wildlife reserve that's a popular tourist attraction, Reuters reported.Published April 2, 2010
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Icelandic "Lavafall"
Photograph by Christopher Lund
A trip to Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano on March 26, 2010, might have had these onlookers gushing about the large "lavafall" created by the ongoing eruption.
The initial March 21 eruption created a 2,000-foot-long (500-meter-long) fissure in Fimmvörduháls Pass, to the west of the volcano's summit. Some of the lava flowing from the fissure has since been falling for several meters down a nearby gorge.Published April 2, 2010
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Iceland Lava Cascade
Photograph by Christopher Lund
From a different angle, Eyjafjallajökull's "lavafall" appears unobstructed by billowing steam, revealing the glowing yellow ribbon cascading down the rocky gorge on March 26, 2010.
In the distance, lava also bursts skyward during the eruption, which has now lasted for almost two weeks. The last volcanic eruption in Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull glacier region took place in 1821 and continued for roughly two years, according to the Associated Press.Published April 2, 2010
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Through the Fire
Photograph by Christopher Lund
A small airplane passes a fountain of lava rising from Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano on March 26, 2010. (See aerial pictures of the Iceland volcano.)
When the Iceland volcano started erupting on March 21, it sent clouds of ash high into the atmosphere, causing local officials to briefly suspend air traffic over the country. Flights began returning to normal the following day, allowing the start of scientific overflights to assess the risk to nearby villages.Published April 2, 2010
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Tourist Eruption
Photograph by Halldor Kolbeins, AFP, Getty Images
Lava spraying high into the air draws crowds of tourists to Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano on March 27, 2010.
When the eruption started on March 21, hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes, due to fears of flooding, which could have occurred, had the volcano's heat melted too much surrounding glacial ice.
But the flooding risk soon subsided and now, almost two weeks later, people are being brought in by snowmobile and helicopter to witness the spectacle, the U.K.'s Guardian newspaper reported.Published April 2, 2010
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Say "Lava Flow"
Photograph by Halldor Kolbeins, AFP, Getty Images
Tourists smile for the camera near a cooling lava flow from Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano on March 27, 2010.
A popular hiking trail up to the volcano was recently reopened, local police officer Adolf Arnason told the AFP news service.
"There are quite a lot of people hiking. [Tourists are] not letting a 12-hour hike stop them from getting a little closer to the eruption," Arnason said.Published April 2, 2010
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Field & Steam
Photograph by Christopher Lund
White trails of steam roll across a vast expanse of cooling lava flows from the ongoing eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano on March 30, 2010.
A tourist stands within feet of red-hot lava, hidden by a shell of new rocks that formed as the substance cooled.Published April 2, 2010
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Face-to-Face
Photograph by Halldor Kolbeins, AFP, Getty Images
Like an ocean wave lapping the shore, a cooling lava flow from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano rolls across the ground near a line of tourists on March 27, 2010.
Geologists are unsure how much longer the Iceland eruption might last. "I hope the eruption continues for a while, because it is very good for business," Ingi Thor Jakobsson, manager of the nearby Hotel Ranga, told the AFP news service.Published April 2, 2010
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