In Grindavik, Iceland, a volcano burst into activity for the fourth time in just three months on Saturday evening. This event painted the night sky with brilliant orange streams of lava.
The Iceland Meteorological Office reported that this eruption created a crack in the ground, stretching about 3 kilometers (nearly 2 miles) long. This fissure is located between the Stóra-Skógfell and Hagafell mountains on the Reykjanes Peninsula.
For weeks, the Meteorological Office had been signaling that an eruption was on the horizon. This was due to the accumulation of magma, or semi-molten rock, beneath the surface.
When the eruption commenced, hundreds were swiftly evacuated from the Blue Lagoon thermal spa. This spa is among Iceland’s most visited attractions, as reported by the national broadcaster RUV.
Despite the eruption’s proximity, no flight disruptions were reported at Keflavik, which serves as Iceland’s primary airport.
The eruption’s location is a short distance northeast of Grindavik. This coastal town, home to 3,800 residents, is situated roughly 50 kilometers (30 miles) southwest of Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital. The town had previously been evacuated in December before the initial eruption. A few residents who had ventured back were required to leave once more on Saturday.
Grindavik found itself in a state of alert in November when the Svartsengi volcanic system, dormant for nearly 800 years, reawakened. This awakening was marked by a series of earthquakes that resulted in significant ground fissures north of the town.
The volcano first erupted on December 18, with the lava flowing away from Grindavik. A subsequent eruption on January 14 directed lava towards the town. Although defensive barriers, strengthened after the first eruption, managed to halt some of the lava, several buildings were still lost to the flow.
Both of these eruptions were relatively short-lived, lasting just a few days. A third eruption that started on February 8 was even shorter, ending within hours. However, it managed to engulf a pipeline in a river of lava, disrupting heat and hot water supply to thousands.
According to RUV, geophysicist Magnús Tumi Guðmundsson described the latest eruption as the most intense so far. The Meteorological Office noted that some of the lava was advancing towards the defensive barriers erected around Grindavik.
Iceland is positioned over a volcanic hotspot in the North Atlantic, making eruptions a common occurrence. The country is well-equipped to handle such natural events. The most disruptive eruption in recent memory was in 2010 when the Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted. It sent vast ash clouds into the sky, causing extensive airspace closures across Europe.
While recent eruptions have not resulted in any confirmed fatalities, there was a report of a worker going missing after falling into a fissure opened by the volcano.