Filmmaker Jon Gustafsson captured breathtaking footage of the eruption of Iceland’s Grimsvötn volcano from a Helicopter Service of Iceland chopper.
“It took us 90 minutes to fly to Grimsvotn with a strong wind against us,” writes Gustafsson on Vimeo. “The eruption looked magnificent in the sunset. Once we landed 5 miles away from the crater the cold glacier air hit us like a truck. We tried to work outside but I only lasted for a couple of minutes.”
(MORE: The eerie beauty of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano)
Gustafsson and pilot Reynir Petursson didn’t get much time to film, but what they did capture was a stunning display of volcano pyrotechnics. Lighting weaves in and out of the gracefully rising plume of ash. Beautiful but deadly it billows and curls organically, reaching out to the sky. And wait, look, did you see those Norse Gods duking it out in the middle? Just kidding. No Norse Gods, but it’s easy to see where the tales originate from after watching this spectacular display.