After weeks of high earthquake activity, a volcano in southwest Iceland erupted, spreading lava and smoke across a vast area, according to the country’s Meteorological Office. Authorities evacuated about 4,000 residents of the fishing town of Grindavik in November, fearing a big outbreak on the Reykjanes peninsula after the area was hit by a “seismic swarm” of more than 1,000 earthquakes in 24 hours.
The eruption occurred around 22:17 GMT
“Warning: Eruption has begun north of Grindavik by Hagafell,” the Met Office said on its website on Monday, noting that the eruption had started only a few kilometres from the town and that cracks in the ground extended toward the village, which is located about 40 kilometres (25 miles) south-west of Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik.
The eruption occurred around 22:17 GMT, following a series of minor earthquakes around 21:00, according to the Met Office. Katrn Jakobsdóttir, Iceland’s prime minister, stated her sympathies were with the inhabitants of Grindavk, and that “now we see the earth opening up.” “Our thoughts are with the local people as before, we hope for the best, but it is clear that this is quite a blast,” she continued. It is critical to provide emergency responders adequate room and to follow traffic regulations.”
Iceland’s foreign minister said on X that there are “no disruptions to flights to and from Iceland, and international flight corridors remain open.”
Local news channel RUV captured images and live streams of lava flowing from ground fissures. “Seismic activity together with measurements from GPS devices indicate that the magma is moving to the southwest and the eruption may continue in the direction of Grindavik,” the Met Office said. The crack in the earth’s surface was around 3.5 km (2.1 miles) long and had grown rapidly, it added.
According to Icelandic seismologist Kristin Jonsdottir, 100 to 200 cubic metres (3,530 to 7,060 cubic feet) of lava emerged each second, several times more than in prior eruptions in the area. The outbreak prompted local police to elevate their alert level, and the country’s civil defence cautioned the public not to approach the region while emergency workers assessed the situation.
The international airport in Reykjavik, which lies nearby, remained operating, albeit with several delays for both arrivals and departures. Bjarne Benediktsson, Iceland’s foreign minister, said on X that there are “no disruptions to flights to and from Iceland, and international flight corridors remain open.” The Reykjanes peninsula has had multiple eruptions in unpopulated areas in recent years, but the current one could endanger the settlement of Grindavik, according to authorities.
Reykjanes is a volcanic and seismic hotspot southwest of Reykjavik
Residents were permitted to return to their houses between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. each day, and some businesses reopened, but they were not permitted to stay overnight or roam around town. They were waiting for an update this week to see if the evacuation orders would be removed in time for Christmas. Thousands of earthquakes had occurred in the area over the last two months, but their magnitudes had recently decreased, leading some scientists to believe the chance of an eruption had passed. Many residents are struggling due to housing constraints, and some are frustrated that they are still not permitted to stay in their homes overnight.
One person who lives in Grindavík was recently reportedly threatened with arrest after breaking the rules to stay at home with his wife for several nights. One of the country’s most prominent tourist attractions, the Blue Lagoon Spa, reopened on Sunday but was not accepting reservations on Monday night. Reykjanes is a volcanic and seismic hotspot southwest of Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital. Lava fountains erupted spectacularly from a 500-750-metre (1,640-2,460-foot) fissure in the ground in the Fagradalsfjall volcano system in March 2021. Iceland has the most active volcanic systems in Europe, with 33.