A volcano in southwest Iceland erupted on Monday, resulting in a broad spread of lava and smoke. This followed weeks of significant seismic activity, which posed a threat to a town in the vicinity, according to the country’s Meteorological Office.
Images and livestreams of the eruption depicted a dramatic display of molten rock erupting from fissures in the ground. The vivid yellow and orange hues of the lava stood out strikingly against the backdrop of the dark night sky.
“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 Meteorological Office said.
They also reported that the eruption produced between 100 and 200 cubic metres of lava per second. This volume is significantly higher than what was observed during previous eruptions in the area.
The Meteorological Office issued a warning on its website stating, “Eruption has started north of Grindavik by Hagafell.” It was noted that the eruption started just a few kilometres away from the town, and fissures in the earth were extending towards the village, which is situated about 40 kilometres southwest of Reykjavik, the capital city of Iceland.
Last month, officials evacuated nearly 4,000 residents of the fishing town of Grindavik due to concerns about a major eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula. Additionally, the nearby Blue Lagoon geothermal spa was shut down.
In response to the eruption, local police increased their alert level, and the country’s civil defence advised the public to avoid the area. Yet, predicting eruptions remains challenging.
