ANNALS 



ow 



PHILOSOPHY. 



JUNE, 1822. 



Article I. 



Account of a Volcanic Eruption in Iceland. 

 By Dr. Forchhammer. 



(To the Editor of the Annals of Philosophy/.) 



SIR, ^pril 18, 1822. 



The very low state of the barometer throughout a great part 

 of Europe in the months of December and January, although not 

 immediately followed by any eruption of the volcanoes in Italy, 

 excited apprehensions of violent volcanic phenomena in Iceland; 

 and in the month of March, letters were received in Copenhagen 

 from which the following account is drawn up. 



In the beginning of the month of September, the frost began 

 on the east coast, and on the east part of the north coast of 

 Iceland, with a violence that was quite unexpected after the 

 experience of the preceding years. An amazing quantity of 

 snow fell, and the Greenland ice surrounded the whole east and 

 north coast accompanied as usual by continual snow and frost. 

 It was remarkable that the fine weather continued on the south 

 -coast of the island till the beginning X)f November, the lowest 

 state of the thermometer at Nsess, near Reikiavig, being on the 

 23d and 24th of September = 41° Fahr. On the i9th of Oct. 

 it suddenly fell to 23° Fahr. which lasted, however, only for one 

 day, and before and after that time the temperature of the atmo- 

 sphere was constantly above the freezing point, until on the 1st 

 of November, when constant frost began. 



The island, though frequently alarmed by earthquakes, had 

 experienced no volcanic eruption since that famous one of 1783- 



New Series, vol. ur. 2d 



