Volcanic eruptions have always been considered as nature’s fury. They can stay dormant for centuries and suddenly, there will be a huge eruption. Recently, Iceland witnessed the awakening of a volcano near its capital Reykjavik, for the first time in 900 years.
There are around 130 volcanoes in Iceland. While most of them are inactive, the country recently experienced a rare volcanic eruption.
On March 20, 2021, a volcano known as Geldingadalur began erupting, and it’s still spewing out red-hot lava today.
This active volcano is not considered an immediate threat to the surrounding areas. And hence, people started flocking to enjoy the spectacular display from a safe distance.
Among them was photographer Garðar Ólafs. He wanted to capture the beautiful eruptions and may have let his drone get a little too close.
Ólafs captured many pictures of the fiery mountain and its flowing lava.
He even managed to fly his drone directly over the top of the volcano and capture real-time footage of a volcanic eruption.
The amazing shot came at a cost, though; the extreme heat caused Ólafs’s drone to melt!
“I was flying my drone around the eruption and decided it would be cool to see it from straight above. I slowly lowered the drone until all I could see was erupting lava, and when I looked up, I didn’t see the drone anymore. Basically, I was inside the crater of the volcano,” the photographer said.
When he realized how close his drone was to the lava, Ólafs quickly called it back to the base.
The drone still works—luckily—but the light and sensors were damaged by the heat. Despite this, Ólafs doesn’t regret what happened. “In the end, I would say that the shot was worth it.”
Check out Ólafs’s incredible drone photos and videos below, and follow him on Instagram for more.
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