A volcano in the southwestern
region of Iceland erupted on Monday following weeks of heightened and intense
seismic activity, as reported by the Icelandic Meteorological Office.
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| A view of lava after volcano eruption located close to Sundhnukagigar, about 4 kilometers northeast of Grindavik town of Reykjanes peninsula, Iceland on Dec. 19, 2023 |
The eruption commenced at
approximately 10:17 p.m. local time, following an "earthquake swarm" that began an hour and 15 minutes earlier,
according to a post on X by the Icelandic Met Office.
Situated about 3 km north of the fishing town of Grindavik, with a population of fewer than 4,000 people, the volcano prompted authorities to evacuate residents of Grindavik. Additionally, the nearby Blue Lagoon geothermal spa was closed as a precaution due to concerns about a potential significant outbreak on the Reykjanes peninsula, as reported by Reuters.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office
announced that a Coast Guard helicopter would be dispatched to confirm the
precise location and size of the eruption, promising to provide more
information as soon as it becomes available.
An image shared on the agency's
website depicted lava erupting from fissures in the ground. According to the
Met Office, the crack in the earth's surface measured approximately 2.1 miles
in length and had expanded rapidly.
The lava was observed to be emerging
at a rate of 100 to 200 cubic meters per second, significantly higher than the
rates seen in previous eruptions in the region, as reported by Reuters, citing
Icelandic seismologist Kirstin Jonsdottir.
The public was cautioned by the country's civil defense not to approach the area, emphasizing the need for caution as emergency personnel assessed the situation.
It was disclosed last month by a
top emergency management official in Iceland to Fox News that authorities in
the southwestern part of the country could have as little as "30 minutes notice" before a
potential volcanic eruption.
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| People watch as the night sky is illuminated caused by the eruption of a volcano on the Reykjanes peninsula of south-west Iceland seen from the capital city of Reykjavik, Monday Dec. 18, 2023 |
VÃdir Reynisson, the head of the
Civil Protection and Emergency Management agency, made this statement as the
Icelandic Meteorological Office continued to report hundreds of small
earthquakes in the vicinity of the town of Grindavik. There are concerns that
Grindavik, which has been evacuated, may remain uninhabitable for months.
The Meteorological Office indicated that more than 700 earthquakes were detected in the region of magma intrusion, with the most significant being a 2.7-magnitude tremor in the mountainous area of Hagafell, just north of Grindavik.
Residents of Grindavik are being
cautioned that it could be several months before they can return to their
homes. The town, evacuated by the Icelandic government last week due to seismic
activity and air content analysis indicating possible eruptions, has been
closed to traffic for the foreseeable future. The situation remains under close
monitoring and evaluation by authorities.
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