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Mystery Volcano Photos #7-8: Arenal and Eyjafjoll

Discover the most active volcanoes in the Western Hemisphere, including Arenal in Costa Rica and others that dazzle with eruptions.

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So, the field still stands unblemished, having identified all 8 MVPs, usually within less than 7 tries. Nice job!

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Current MVP Standings: volcanista - 1 Elizabeth - 1 Ralph - 1 gijs - 1 Anne - 1 Cam - 1 gg - 1 The Bobs - 1

MVP #7 was Arenal in Costa Rica. It was initially going to be Rincon de la Vieja, but somehow I mixed up the pictures. I think a lot of you know a lot more about Arenal than I do, but it is one of the most active - and easily visited - volcanoes in the Western Hemisphere.

[strike]Eyjafjöll volcano[/strike]Hekla from the northwest in Iceland, not your MVP #8.

MVP #8 was Eyjafjöll (or Eyjafjallajökull, although the last one is technically the name of the glacier on the volcano) in the south of Iceland. Iceland is filled with these volcanoes that are buried underneath glaciers, sometimes producing impressive subglacial volcanic eruptions. Eyjafjöll is an active subglacial volcano near Katla. The last known eruption at Eyjafjöll was in 1821-23 and it is believed that the volcano is part of a caldera system. Unlike many Icelandic eruptions, the 1821-23 eruption of Eyjafjöll produced intermediate-to-silicic lavas (andesite to rhyolite) tephra rather than basaltic material (like was seen at Laki).

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