Beerenberg is a stratovolcano dominating the northeastern end of the Norwegian island of Jan Mayen.[2] It is 2,277 m (7,470 ft) high and is the world's northernmost subaerial active volcano and the only active volcano in Norway.[3] The volcano is topped by a mostly ice-filled crater about one kilometre (5⁄8 mile) wide,[4] with numerous peaks along its rim including the highest summit, Haakon VII Toppen, on its western side.
Name
Its name is Dutch for "Bear Mountain", and comes from the polar bears seen there by Dutch whalers in the early 17th century.[5]
Description
The upper slopes of the volcano are largely ice-covered, with several major glaciers including five which reach the sea.[6] The longest of the glaciers is the Weyprecht Glacier, which flows from the summit crater via a breach through the northwestern portion of the crater rim, and extends about 6 km (4 mi) down to the sea.
There was an Austrian attempt to reach the summit of Beerenberg, presumably whilst the Austrians had a weather station on the island in 1882–83, but the attempt failed due to poor weather. The first recorded ascent was in the summer of 1921, by an expedition led by Dr. Paul Louis Mercanton, joined by James Wordie, T.C. Lethbridge and three others.[7] The British expedition was taken to the island by the Norwegian meteorological service, which was establishing a wireless station on the island.
Its most recent eruptions took place in 1970[8] and 1985, both of which were flank eruptions from fissures on the northeast side of the mountain. Other eruptions with historical records occurred in 1732, 1818, and 1851.[4]
