VATNAJöKULL, Iceland, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- Iceland's Bardarbunga volcano is a prolific producer of lava, and thanks to its impressive magmatic output, the island nation is growing.
The activity within the Bardarbunga volcanic system is due to the fact that two massive tectonic plates, the Eurasian Plate and the North American Plate, are drifting apart. As they move away from each other, magma underneath Barbarbunga is rising up to fill the gap and helping to grow the size of the country.