Brave Drone Get's Dramatically Close to Erupting Volcano

For more than a month, Iceland's Bardarbunga volcano has been steadily spewing lava into the air, covering the region in a blanket of ash.

And while most people are being advised to stay away, Eric Cheng, director of aerial imaging for drone maker DJI, joined photographer Ragnar Th. Sigurdsson for a last-minute trip to the eruption site in the Bardarbunga volcanic system. Sigurdsson had access to the proper permits and connections with the local authorities to get close enough to send a drone over the eruption and capture it in stunning high-definition.

Using a drone, fitted with a GoPro action camera, the pair were able to record footage in the centre of the area’s Holuhraun lava field, and provide an incredible view of its violent and blistering core.

Iceland is one of the most volcanically active locations in the world. It’s the only place on the globe where a mid-ocean ridge—the seams in the Earth’s crust that pull apart, bringing molten magma to the surface to produce more crust—rises onto dry land. It’s an incredible view of one of the most important and impressive geologic processes on the planet.

The current eruption began about a month ago in a fissure between Bardarbunga and Askja volcanoes. This area, known as the Holuhraun lava field, is located just north of the Vatnajokull ice sheet.