Surtsey appeared in the Vestmannaeyjar Islands off the south
coast of Iceland in late 1963.
It gradually built itself up above sea-level, during which
time it was undergoing a type of volcanic activity which is now called surtseyan.
Namely there was an explosive interaction between the cold Atlantic seawater
and the hot magma.
Once the volcano had built sufficiently high to exclude the
ocean from the vent, the activity changed to strombolian.
The activity continued until 1967 and resulted in an island
that still remains.
After the cessation of volcanic activity, the island became
a haven for biologists wishing to study the invasion of pristine land by
the biota.
The stamps shown below were issued June 23rd 1965.
For more information on Surtsey go to Volcano
World
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