Surprising Sounds of Lava and Fire

The sound of fire is something that so far has been missing from countless videos posted of the eruption in Fagradalsfjall mountain, Southwest Iceland. If you haven’t had a chance to visit the eruption site, you must be wondering what sort of rumbling can be heard from the craters and what lava sounds like when it flows.

A video, “Sounds of Lava,” recorded by Jakob Vegerfors and posted on YouTube last Saturday answers these questions. It may come as a surprise to you that the lava sometimes sounds like glass that is breaking.

Jakob tells mbl.is he purchased a new microphone precisely for the purpose of recording these sounds. Nearly all the sound in the video corresponds with the simultaneous footage. Only occasionally did he have to fill into gaps with parts of a long recording of sound from the middle of the night. (This was before the area was closed to the public overnight).

We recommend you take a break from your chores to watch and listen, using the full screen setting. The only thing you have to imagine is the smell of fireworks.