Axlargigur, at the SW end of Hekla's summit ridge, was one of the principal vents during a major eruption in 1947. The initial plinian phase of the eruption began on March 29, 1947, and produced a towering ash column that reached a height of 30 km. Tephra fall occurred primarily to the south, and ashfall reached the Finnish-Russian border. Lava flows from a 5-km-long fissure along the summit ridge covered 40 km², primarily on the eastern, southern, and western sides of the volcano.

Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft.

Copyrighted image used with permission. All Rights Reserved. Contact photographer for any usage requests.

Hekla