Bardarbunga volcano erupts in Iceland: spectacular photos taken from the sky
|
Version 0 of 1. This week, Iceland’s Bardarbunga volcano began erupting in spectacular form. But terrifying as it may first appear, that hasn’t stopped one UK tour operator offering visitors the chance to fly over the action. These pictures were taken on Wednesday, the day tourist flights began. The alert level for the area is currently at orange, as civil authorities monitor the situation. But unlike the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull, Bardarbunga is not causing disruption to flights as it is producing smoke, rather than ash. Bardarbunga has been demonstrating seismic activity since mid-August, including thousands of earthquakes, but since Sunday has been shooting lava fountains more than 50m into the sky. The bright scarlet lava is clearly visible against the barren landscape surrounding the volcano. The flights, which depart up to twice a day (depending on the conditions) from Reykjavik and Myvtan, are being offered by Discover The World to clients who book the operator’s volcano tour or as an add-on to their holiday to Iceland . The aircraft, which can carry up to four people, can fly over the volcano as long as it travels above 500ft (150m). While those who are considering booking a seat will have to fork out at least £568 for a flight, passengers on one IcelandAir flight managed to get the same experience at no extra cost, when their pilot took them on an brief detour, circling the volcano twice to allow them to enjoy the incredible, once-in-a-lifetime view. |