On
November 14,
1963, the volcanic island of
Surtsey emerged from the ocean five miles south of
Iceland. It was named for the fire giant
Surt from
Norse mythology.The eruption lasted until
June 5,
1967, when the island reached its maximum size of 2.7 sq.kilometers. Ever since, it has steadily diminished and is now (
2002) only 1.4 sq. kilometers in size.