Surtsey

Surtsey is a young volcanic island off the south coast of Iceland. It rose from the sea in a long eruption that reached the surface on 14 November 1963 and ended on 5 June 1967. Its name means 'Surtr's island', after a fire giant from Norse myths.

At its biggest the island measured 2.7 square kilometres, but waves have worn it down to about 1.3 square kilometres by 2012. Its highest point was about 155 metres in a 2007 survey. Today only scientists may land on Surtsey, so it works as a natural laboratory for watching how life settles on new land. UNESCO made it a World Heritage Site in 2008.

How the island was born

The eruption began about 130 metres below the sea, where the water pressure held back the explosions. Slowly, the lava and ash built a mound until it reached the surface, and a fisherman's ship cook spotted a column of dark smoke on 14 November 1963. A few small islands formed nearby too, but most of them washed away quickly. The undersea vents are part of the Vestmannaeyjar volcanic system, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

Life on a new island

Scientists studied the eruption while it happened, and afterwards botanists and biologists studied how plants and animals arrived. Because it was bare rock to begin with, every plant and animal that came was new to the island. It is the southernmost point of Iceland. Waves keep shrinking the island, and it is estimated that Surtsey will remain above sea level until at least about the year 2100.

On the globe

The model shows a small volcanic island rising from the sea. It is a restricted place that only scientists may visit.