Lakagigar facts for kids

The area today

Lakagígar is a long row of amazing craters in the southern Icelandic Highlands. These craters stretch for about 25 kilometres (15.5 miles). They were formed during a huge series of volcanic eruptions at the Laki fissure, which happened between 1783 and 1784.

The Laki eruption was one of the biggest in recorded history. It lasted for eight months, from June 1783 to February 1784. During this time, a lot of lava flowed out from the Laki fissure and the nearby volcano Grímsvötn.

What Happened During the Laki Eruption?

The Laki eruption released an estimated 42 billion tons, or 14 km³ (3.4 cu mi), of basalt lava. Basalt lava is a common type of lava that flows easily. This massive amount of lava covered a large area.

Poisonous Gases and Their Effects

Besides lava, the eruption also sent huge clouds of poisonous gases into the air. These gases included hydrofluoric acid and sulfur dioxide.

• Hydrofluoric acid is a very strong and dangerous acid.
• Sulfur dioxide is a gas that smells like rotten eggs and can harm breathing.

These poisonous gases spread across Iceland. They contaminated the soil and plants. This led to a terrible disaster for the island's animals and people.

Impact on Iceland's People and Animals

The effects of the Laki eruption were devastating for Iceland:

• More than half of Iceland's farm animals, like sheep and cattle, died from eating the poisoned grass.
• Almost all crops were destroyed, meaning there was very little food.
• This lack of food caused a severe famine. About 25% of the people living in Iceland died because of starvation and illness.
• The flowing lava also destroyed 20 villages, forcing many people to leave their homes.

The Laki eruption had a big impact not only on Iceland but also on the climate in other parts of the world. The gases released caused cooler temperatures and strange weather patterns in Europe and North America for a few years.

Images for kids

• 

  Center of the Laki Fissure

• 

  Laki in July 2012

• 

  Kirkjubaejarklaustur, an important church farm in South Iceland, was the home of the Rev. Jón Steingrímsson (1728–1791). He wrote down what he saw during and after the eruption. Today, Kirkjubæjarkaustur is a small village.

See also

In Spanish: Laki para niños