Despite Norway being a very mountainous country, it is seeming absent of volcanic activity...or
so you would think.
Norway does contain a single active volcano.
This volcano is not on the mainland, and is considered to be the northernmost active volcano
in the world.
I am referring to Beerenberg, which last erupted in 1985.
This video will discuss this active volcano, and mention what its future hazards are.
The Beerenberg volcano can be found several hundred kilometers off the coast of Norway.
Specifically, it is located on the island of Jan Mayen, which is 600 kilometers north-northeast
of Iceland.
Despite the island's unusual shape, it is made up of a single volcano.
The reason for this shape is the tectonic setting the volcano is located in.
To the north of the island, is a transform fault boundary known as the Jan Mayan fracture
zone.
This straddles two sections of a mid ocean ridge where the crust is slowly spreading
apart, due in part to a regional hotspot.
This volcano formed along a fracture in the crust parallel to the nearby mid ocean ridge.
We do not know when Beerenberg began to form, but we do know when this stratovolcano first
reached the surface.
This occurred about 70,000 years ago, during which highly explosive eruptions began building
the south and southeastern portion of the island.
The reason why so many of these eruptions were explosive is due to the fact that many
of them still occurred in open ocean.
Within a timeframe of 20,000 years, Jim Mayen was likely a chain of several much smaller
volcanic islands.
After a period of dormancy, eruptions resumed in the region.
However, this time volcanic activity largely shifted to the north.
Over a span of thousands of years, hundreds of eruptions not only widened the island,
but also created the wide base platform from which the Beerenberg volcano is located today.
After the end of the last ice age, the volcano was likely about 1000 meters tall.
Eventually, something caused the island to experience a vast increase in volcanic activity.
To the south, highly explosive eruptions began which produced significant quantities of ash
AND created a series of viscous lava domes.
To the north, a completely separate magma chamber began building the bulk of the Beerenberg
volcano.
These eruptions were less explosive, and erupted significant quantities of basalt lava onto
the surface.
Around 6,000 years ago, the summit was its modern day height of 2,197 meters above sea
level.
Although the summit had completed its construction, eruptions continued through fissures throughout
the region.
In the next several thousand years, more than two dozen cinder cones were built in the southern
half of the island, further expanding the island.
Then, in 1350 AD, a large eruption beneath an area just above sea level created a massive
explosion.
This created a large 1300 meter wide crater known as a tuff ring.
The next two eruptions took place several hundred years later in the same section of
the island.
These eruptions created two large cinder cones, of which the eruption in 1732 represented
Beerenberg's largest on record.
Beginning in 1851, eruptions shifted to the northeastern section of Jan Mayen.
The first of these eruptions added 2.5 square kilometers near the tip of the island.
After more than 100 years of dormancy, two vents erupted from Beerenberg.
During the next 2 years, lava and ash erupted from both the summit and a chain of vents
near the northern tip of the island.
In 1973, another small eruption occurred, which overlapped the recent lava flows.
The most recent eruption from this volcano occurred for four days in 1985, which once
again expanded the island.
Geologic data shows that Beerenberg erupts about once every 150 years, though recent
activity has broken this trend.
Although this island doesn't have a permanent population, it often has about 30 residents
living in two small communities.
When the next eruption occurs, these communities could both be put at risk.
Due to the nature of this volcano, it is difficult to predict where the next eruption will occur.
Although it is most likely to once again take place on the northern tip of the island, the
next eruption could occur literally anywhere.
I suggest that sensors be added all over the island to detect ground deformation.
If anything is detected, evacuate.
I have a final hazard to note.
The summit of Beerenberg shows clear evidence of repeated summit collapses into the ocean.
If another one was to occur, it would create a tall tsunami which would endanger the region.
I hope that you enjoyed this video.
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