The latest eruption began late Monday evening. Photo: Icelandic Meteorological and Seismological Office
A volcano erupted in southwest Iceland after weeks of underground magma moving caused hundreds of earthquakes.
Fast-moving lava gushes from large cracks in the rocks near the Fagradalsfjall volcano, threatening to nearby Grindavik, a fishing village of 4,000 people. The town was evacuated ahead of the eruption on Monday evening.
Experts believe the eruption could destroy the town, but they do not expect destruction on the scale of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in 2010.
Where is the volcano?
Fagradalsfjall — volcano in the extreme southwest of Iceland, the Reykjanes Peninsula.
A strong accumulation of magma in a 10-mile fissure between one and three miles underground caused a series of earthquakes in the area. early November.
On Tuesday morning, a Coast Guard helicopter discovered a crack in the ground about 3.5 km long. It is located approximately 3 km from the southern outskirts of Grindavik.
Seismic activity before the eruption split roads in two and caused a power outage in Grindavik, requiring its evacuation.
Volcanic activity regularly affects Iceland due to its position on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a crack in the ocean floor that separates the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates.
When was the last time it erupted?
There was such an eruption. Fagradalsfjall has erupted every year since 2021, but these have been smaller and affected less densely populated areas than Grindavik.
The volcano lay dormant for 6,000 years until its first fissure appeared in March 2021.< /p>
The volcano lay dormant for 6,000 years until its first fissure appeared in March 2021.
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Sunday tourists look at lava flowing from the erupting Fagradalsfjall volcano in March 2010. Photo: Getty How many people will be affected?
Grindavik and the surrounding areas are now closed to civilians and all of its 4,000 residents have been evacuated.
Some were allowed to return temporarily to retrieve items from their homes before leaving again.
Officials and some engineers remain in the area and are using a bulldozer to build protective walls around the nearby Svartsengi geothermal power plant.
The popular tourist site Blue Lagoon, where visitors can bathe in natural hot springs, is also closed.
The only other settlements nearby are on the northern coast of the peninsula, and they are not expected to be affected by either the earthquakes or the explosion itself.
Will anyone die?
Evacuation of Grindavik is likely to limit the number of civilian casualties, perhaps to zero.
Professor John Smellie, a volcanologist at the University of Leicester, previously said the lava was expected to flow «relatively slowly, and people can at least leave or run away from it.”
However, it is possible that the volcano will release toxic gas. In 1783, smoke from a fissure in the Laki volcano in southern Iceland killed so many livestock that it caused widespread famine.
Residents came out of their homes to watch the sky turn orange on Monday evening. Photo: Getty
Dr Phil Collins, a geologist at Brunel University London, previously said: “It doesn't look like a disaster on the scale of Luckey is likely. «.
Will flights be affected like in 2010?
The eruption will likely not affect flights in the same way as the Eyjafjallajokull eruption in 2010.
This eruption caused enormous destruction. ash into the atmosphere from under 200 meters of ice, leading to the cancellation of around 100,000 flights and making life difficult for more than 10 million travelers.
Dr Mark Raichow, a geochemist at the University of Leicester, previously said: “This time this is unlikely to happen as there is no significant amount of ice in the area where the eruption is expected.»
The latest eruption threat presents a «completely different situation», Professor Smellie added. .
Reykjavik International Airport, located nearby, remains open for now despite the eruption.
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