Hekla

Hekla is an active stratovolcano in southern Iceland, 1,491 meters high, with a shape that combines features of both a fissure vent and a classic stratovolcano. In medieval times Icelanders called it the Gateway to Hell, a reputation that spread across Europe, and over the past thousand years it has produced roughly ten percent of all of Iceland's tephra, some five cubic kilometers of material. More than twenty eruptions have occurred in and around Hekla since 1210, with the earliest recorded eruption in 1104 devastating nearby settlements and major eruptions again in 1300-1301, 1766-1768, 1845-1846 and 1947-1948. Its most recent eruption ran from February 26 to March 8, 2000, and the volcano is unusual for staying largely aseismic between eruptions, with detectable earthquake activity typically starting only 30 to 80 minutes before it erupts.