Incredible close-up drone video of an erupting volcano in Iceland

Incredible close-up drone video of an erupting volcano in Iceland

ההתפרצות הר הגעש Bardarbunga כפי שצולמה על ידי כטב"מ

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Volcanic eruption at Bardarbunga taken by the UAS
Volcanic eruption at Bardarbunga taken by the UAS

This epic video isn’t a CGI outtake from Lord of the Rings. It’s proof that a guy with a quadcopter managed to get very, very close to an erupting Icelandic volcano: close enough to melt the face of the GoPro camera that shot the video.

Wired.com is reporting that Eric Cheng, director of aerial imaging for drone maker DJI, joined photographer Ragnar Th. Sigurdsson for a last-minute trip to the eruption site in the Bardarbunga volcanic system. Sigurdsson had access to the proper permits and connections with the local authorities to get close enough to send a drone over the eruption.

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Unmanned Systems Conference 2014 – Israel

Iceland is one of the most volcanically active locations in the world. It’s the only place on the globe where a mid-ocean ridge – the seams in the Earth’s crust that pull apart – bringing molten magma to the surface to produce more crust—rises onto dry land. It’s an incredible view of one of the most important and impressive geologic processes on the planet.

The current eruption began about a month ago in a fissure between Bardarbunga and Askja volcanoes. This area, known as the Holuhraun lava field, is located just north of the Vatnajokull ice sheet.

Scientists believe the eruption at Holuhraun lava field could continue for a year. There is some evidence that Bardarbunga volcanic system continues south under the ice sheet, and officials say it’s possible that the activity could extend far and wide under the ice. If a large eruption happens under the ice, it could lead to a catastrophic meltwater flood.