JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH. IN ICELAND YOU CAN ENTER THE INTERIOR OF A VOLCANO

Jules Verne only dreamed of it, but in Iceland they made it happen. A local travel agency has started offering tours into the interior of the Thrihnukagigur volcano.

Man reached the moon 40 years ago. But we have only recently begun to penetrate the interior of volcanoes. Starting in July, anyone who pays for it will have the opportunity. Icelandic travel agency 3H has started offering a fascinating experience for this summer – a descent into the extinct volcano Thrihnukagigur.

Iceland is famous for its volcanoes – for example, the infamous Eyjafjallajokull was all over the papers in 2010. When it spewed a huge cloud of ash in March that year, it caused huge complications for the whole of Europe. However, the descent into the interior of Thrihnukagigur is said to be completely safe. The volcano has three magma reservoirs – which is how it got its name: Thrihnukagigur means Crater of the Three Peaks.

The volcano is unique in many ways: during its last eruption, magma flowed down the inside of the crater – which is why it looks like something out of a fantasy movie. Haraldur Sigurdsson, a local volcanologist, confirms this: “Thrihnukagigur is a unique volcano. It looks like someone pulled a plug out of it and the lava flowed away.”

A unique opportunity to visit the volcano will be offered to tourists between June 15 and July 31. First, they will pass through the volcano’s 4 metre wide throat and then descend down the volcano’s chimney 120 metres into one of the reservoirs. They will use an elevator that the tour operator has had installed in the crater. The expeditions are only possible during the short Icelandic summer when the volcano is safely accessible. A total of four descents a day are made.

Source: National Geographic

Author: Editor   |   Published: 06.05.2012