Ólafur Pálsson’s farm has been in the family since 1886, and it sits just near a small volcano in Southern Iceland. Their primary work has always been in the dairy industry…
…until everything changed in 2010. The volcano near their farm is called Eyjafjallajökull, and though it is difficult to pronounce (AY-yah-fyaht-luh-YOH-kuutl-uh), it was all over the international news when it erupted in May of that year. 
At first, it was a magna eruption, and tourists were coming from the city to watch the beautiful lava flowing. After that, things took a turn for the worst. It turned into an ash eruption, and spewed fine black ash for about six weeks straight. The ash was carried in the wind for miles, causing over 95,000 flights all over Europe to be cancelled. Actually, it could have lasted longer, even a year, so we were all very lucky.
Many farms were destroyed in this area. Not only did the ash cover everything, including the fields where the animals needed to graze and the food needed to be grown, but the glaciers atop the mountains began to melt. As the volcanic heat melted the ice, big floods of water came rushing down and flooded the area.
Ólafur and his family were smart. They had a friend take documentary film footage of the whole experience, and then they opened a tourist center to teach visitors about the volcano. My group went there today. It was a little weird to see pieces of lava for sale, but it was really interesting to meet this family and learn about their experience.
Living through a volcano eruption sounds very scary, but thanks to modern technology, all of the people survived. Scientists today can monitor movement very accurately, using several tools including very accurate GPS devices. 
They were able to tell families like Ólafur’s to evacuate when things were getting really bad.
It’s safe to get close to these volcanos and glaciers, because we would have warning if something were to happen. So, that’s why I felt totally safe this afternoon, when I got to visit a glacier in the area and see the way that the ice and ash gets all mixed up.
It was really beautiful, but I wouldn’t want that ash or ashy water all over my house!
The people here are used to this kind of climate, so it’s not so strange to them. Even the beaches are full of black sand. And they are really beautiful!
Today, some families try to protect against possible natural disasters. For instance, while driving on our bus, we passed a house that had planted trees above their farm in order to stop any damage that might come from a landslide. That’s a smart idea, right?
I would be afraid to live with this risk, but Iceland is way safer than the United States in other ways.
For instance, very few people have guns, and crime is really low there. In fact, there are only a handful of people are in prison in the whole country! When we took a small flight from one part of Iceland to another, there was no security line and no metal detector. It was shocking to me, but I wish our country was so safe that there wasn’t a need for all that security.
People in Iceland accept the risk of volcanos, floods, and landslides because they love their country and this is their home. Their families have long histories here, from the old days when houses were often built of sod.
We got to visit the Skogar Museum today, which was a historical site sort of like Plimoth Plantation. There weren’t re-enactors, but there were real houses and artifacts that had been in the family for over 150 years. It was neat to see how people used to live in Iceland.
There’s a lot of history and beauty here, so I can see why people love it here. If there were a volcano near your house, would you move? I’m pretty sure that the Icelandic people aren’t going anywhere.
Categories: Iceland
Innovation on Earth 
Thank you so much for sharing all your adventures with us. I enjoy reading your blogs … I think more than my kids 🙂 Its amazing to see the landscape and differences between all the places you have been. Just curious because I am not sure you mentioned this, but aren’t the days right now extremely long, something like 20 hours of sunlight? I heard that on the summer solstice it stays light for 23 hours and on the winter solstice the sun only comes up for an hour. What is that like to have such an incredibly long day?
On that sign, didn’t it say that the water was 80 to 90 degrees C. Why did you stick your hand in it?
How old is iceland?
What is that black stuff that you held?
I reached into the water that had run off of the glacier. It was super cold! The black stuff is mucky mud — a mix of lava ash and water from the glacier. The sign about the hot water was at a different place. I definitely didn’t stick my hand in there!
Iceland looks like a beautiful country. They seem to have a lot of history like we do here at home. Since it is so safe and has very little crime, I think that it is a good reason to stay even if a volcano is right next to your house. I wish our country was safer.
Well, I’m happy that all of those families survived!!!! 😀
I have to ask about those tiny houses from the photo in the upper right hand corner of your last group of photos; what are they for? Are they houses for the elves? Also, what kind of house did you go into in your last picture? (The house that’s completely covered with grass.) Finally, did you find any similarities/differences between Plimoth Plantation and the Skogar Museum?
Yes, elf houses! Aren’t they cute? They match the people houses 🙂 And people used to build houses for living in made of natural material, like sod and grasses. The Skogar Museum was neat, but there were no re-enactors like at Plimoth. However, the artifacts were real, passed down in the family. So, that was neat.
That was so cool! In school last year we studied Mount St. Helens. I liked how there would be a warning. I would feel safer, but still not live there.
Interesting, Matt! What did you learn about Mt. St Helens?
I was really interested in learning about volcanoes.I have a few questions for you. How were they selling lava? What was the black thing you were holding? How did the sand become black? How did they film it without getting burned?
Great questions, John! When the lava comes out of the volcano, it is very hot, but then it dries and turns into rock. So, after it has cooled, it’s easy to pick up the rocks. Volcanos also produce ash, which is a fine black dust, so that’s why the sand is black and why the mud from the glacier looks dark. People can film volcanos from far away, with zoom lenses, or sometimes from helicopters that fly above. It’s probably a risky job though!
Wow! It’s amazing that the volcano could have had smoke come out for a year! It must have been very dangerous for flights not being able to fly. What would happen if a landslide broke the trees? Would they build more? Did you make lace? How did they mucky mud feel?
Great questions Ila! 1) A landslide could break trees, but they are strong and likely to stop it from damaging the houses underneath. If a house does get destroyed in a natural disaster, usually people have insurance to rebuild. 2) I didn’t make lace — I saw this in a historic house, and I think it was showing how people used to make it back in the old days. 3) The mucky mud felt soft and wet and VERY cold. It was from the water running off a glacier, which is icy!
the Icelandic glacier is so awesome but i wouldn’t want it all over my house ethier
One little question… how was you experience feeling that you were under a volcano that had irrupted soon in the past ? In 2010.
I was sad for the people who lived through it. I wasn’t scared, because scientists can predict eruptions now. So, people would have warning if it were to happen again.
Very true..
Did real elves actually live there!? When you held the muddy ashes what did it feel like? I saw in one of the pictures it said volcano magnets. Are they parts of a real volcano or fake? Also, I cant believe the eruption happened for a month and a half!!
Yes, they are real bits of lava. It’s pretty much everywhere in Iceland! Just like picking up a rock on the ground. Personally, I don’t believe in elves, but some people do! The muddy ash felt like…. Really cold mud.
Hope you had fun!:)
That is very awesome you are so luck
how did they sell lava
I think it is amazing that the family survived. I thought that it was weird to see people selling lava though. If I lived under a volcano I would probably move because volcanoes are a big fear of mine.