{"id":9506,"date":"2020-07-15T19:10:22","date_gmt":"2020-07-15T17:10:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fernwehmotive.de\/?p=9506"},"modified":"2024-01-21T13:56:19","modified_gmt":"2024-01-21T12:56:19","slug":"islands-vulkan-von-innen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fernwehmotive.de\/en\/islands-vulkan-von-innen\/","title":{"rendered":"Journey to the Center of the Earth - Iceland's Volcano Thrihnukagigur from inside"},"content":{"rendered":"

Iceland is the land of natural phenomena. One of them is the sleeping volcano Thrihnukagigur in the southwest of Iceland. Where once there was glowing magma, there is now a huge empty volcanic cone. With a wire basket you descend 120 meters deep into the earth, passing red, grey, black and yellow walls of the volcano chimney. Here I will tell you about my \"journey to the center of the earth\" and you will learn what Iceland's volcano Thrihnukagigur looks like from the inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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The huge magma chamber of the Thrihnukagigur makes the group of visitors look very small.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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The Volcano Thrihnukagigur in the Southwest of Iceland<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Iceland is one of the most active volcanic regions in the world. It lies in the middle of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This is where the Eurasian and North American continental plates meet. They drift about seven millimetres apart every year, which is why the earth's crust is particularly unstable here. The volcano Thrihnukagigur is located in this zone. Thrihnukagigur (\u00der\u00edhn\u00fakag\u00edgur) means something like \"Three Peaks Crater\"<\/strong>. Its summits can be seen from far away. One of them is about 50.000 years old, its rock is grey coloured. The other two peaks, however, are reddish in color and, at about 4,000 years old, still relatively young.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We can see the three peaks of the volcano Thrihnukagigur already from a distance. The volcano cone we enter is the one on the right.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The rock of the volcanic cone is coloured red by iron minerals.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Early in the morning, the Thrihnukagigur on Iceland is the only volcano in the world where it is possible to see the magma chamber from inside<\/strong>. Because normally the magma chamber of a volcano is filled with hot magma. But the chamber of the volcano Thrihnukagigur is empty. It is assumed that the magma has drifted into the depth and afterwards hardened on the walls of the volcano. Today the Thrihnukahigur is sleeping. Its last eruption was about 4,000 years ago. At the moment he shows no signs of a new eruption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hiking across the Lava Field<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In order to reach the volcanic crater, we first walk about three kilometres across a lava field. It is still early in the morning. The sun warms up the wet moss and water vapour rises. The white clouds of steam in front of the grey sky immerse the landscape in a mystical atmosphere. During our short hike to the Thrihnukagigur we pass two lava tunnels <\/strong>and the continental fissure <\/strong>that runs through the whole of Iceland. With one step we are America. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Above the wet moss the warmth of the sun lets steam rise.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After about 45 minutes we arrive at the \"Basecamp\". Here we are getting equipped: climbing harness and helmet with headlamp. Afterwards we are informed about the safety precautions and divided into groups of 6 to 7 people, who go down into the volcano one after the other with a wire basket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Those who do not want to hike, fly. I don't want to know what that costs.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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In a Wire Basket to the Center of the Earth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Do you know those wire baskets that window cleaners use to reach the windows of high-rise buildings? One of these opens us the door to another world. The wire basket for 6 to 7 people is connected to a crane that was placed vertically above the crater opening. Massive cable wires lead the basket 120 meters deep into the interior of the volcano<\/strong>. That is about the height of a skyscraper with 40 floors. The trip down takes about 6 minutes. To prevent us from falling out of the basket in astonishment, each of us is secured with a rope. First we pass close to the volcano walls. The volcano is shaped like a bottle neck. After we have passed the narrow entrance, a huge dome with a base of about 49 x 67 meters opens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What remains of a volcanic eruption we know as black lava. But here inside the volcano it is colorful. Yellow sulfur oxide has been deposited on the walls. The rust-red coloration, on the other hand, is due to the oxidation of iron. Grey and black is the basalt rock. To make the colours and the size of the chamber clearly visible, prominent spots are illuminated by spotlights. It is hard to imagine that this huge dome was once filled with glowing magma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the bottom of the chamber there is a circular path marked out with ropes. After a short briefing by our guide we had about 30 minutes for own discoveries and for taking pictures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After the visit to the crater we are spoiled with hot soup and coffee in the base camp. There was even a vegan version - I was thrilled! Strengthened we start the way back. Here in the width of the lava field I try to absorb what I just experienced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Facts about the Tour<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Duration:<\/strong> 5 to 6 hours (about 40 minutes inside the volcano)
Costs:<\/strong> Inside the Volcano<\/strong><\/a> offers tours for 276 Euro (July 2020)
When:<\/strong> The season is lasts from 10 May to 31 October. In winter, the bridge and the wire basket are dismantled so that the heavy snow does not stress the system.
Directions to get there: <\/strong>from Reykjavik approx. 25 minutes (pick up possible)
Temperature in the crater:<\/strong> about 3\u00b0 to 6\u00b0 Celsius
Meeting point if you arrive by yourself: <\/strong>Blue Mountains \/ Bl\u00e1fj\u00f6ll parking lot. The GPS coordinates are N 63.98502, W -21.649949<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What am I taking with me?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n