|
Vestmannaeyjar ((:ˈvɛstmanːaˌeiːjar), sometimes anglicized as ''Westman Islands'') is a town and archipelago off the south coast of Iceland.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Westman Islands )〕 The largest island, Heimaey, has a population of 4,135. The other islands are uninhabited, although six have single hunting cabins. Vestmannaeyjar came to international attention in 1973 with the eruption of Eldfell volcano, which destroyed many buildings and forced a months-long evacuation of the entire population to mainland Iceland. Approximately one fifth of the town was destroyed before the lava flow was halted by application of 6.8 billion litres of cold sea water. ==Geography== The Vestmannaeyjar archipelago is young in geological terms. The islands lie in the Southern Icelandic Volcanic Zone and have been formed by eruptions over the past 10,000–12,000 years. The volcanic system consists of 70–80 volcanoes both above and below the sea.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=VESTMANNAEYJAR: Volcanic Activity )〕 Vestmannaeyjar comprises the following islands: *Heimaey () *Surtsey () *Elliðaey () *Bjarnarey () *Álsey () *Suðurey () *Brandur () *Hellisey () *Súlnasker () *Geldungur () *Geirfuglasker () *the islands Hani, Hæna, Hrauney and the skerry Grasleysa are called ''Smáeyjar'' (small islands). Total: There are 15 islands, and about 30 rock stacks and skerries. All the islands have been built up in submarine eruptions and consist of alternating layers of palagonite tuff and lava. The oldest geological formations are in the northern part of Heimaey ("Home Island"), the largest island and the only inhabited one. Basalt columns can be seen in many places, and the sea has eroded the soft rock of the shoreline and scooped out many picturesque coves and grottos, which are among the special features of the islands. There was a submarine eruption southeast of Hellisey in 1896. The next eruption began on 14 November 1963. It lasted about four years – one of the longest in Icelandic history – and gave birth to Surtsey, the 15th island in the group. In the eruption of 1973 that lasted for 155 days, Heimaey grew by about . The Vestmannaeyjar group is about long and broad, the closest point lying about from the mainland. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Vestmannaeyjar」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|