January 23, 1973 Heimaey, Iceland volcanic eruption

I was living in Iceland during this eruption; Hofn H-3 a USAF radar site. It is estimated that approximately 250 million cubic metres of lava and ash were produced by the eruption,about 10% of which were ash and pumice. The volcano had reached a height of around 225 metres by the end of the eruption.
Heimaey had previously been some 12 square kilometres, but had extended to 14,5 square kilometres after the eruption. About 5,5 million tons of seawater containing some 180 thousand tons of salt were pumped onto the lava flow in an attempt to cool it.
Some 360 houses were destroyed on Heimaey, about 30% of the town's house, and some 400 were damaged, while 400 houses escaped nearly unscathed. About 1,5 million tons of ash fell on the town, approximately one thousand tons covered the hospital's roof alone.
By 1975, most of the ash had been cleaned away and moved to the new lava field, where it was used to make roads, enlarge air strips and make foundations for new houses. About two-thirds of the islanders cane back after the eruption about 3500 out of 5300 pre-eruption residents. The total population is now about 5000.

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