19.12.2023 – 02:18
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Updated: 19.12.2023 – 08:30
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a GrindavikThere has been a volcanic eruption in southwest Iceland, with magma breaking its surface, the country’s meteorological office said last night.
In live images, plumes of red smoke can be seen rising above the burning lava.
The Met Office reported that a “seismic storm” on the Reykjanes Peninsula preceded the eruption, which began around 10:15 p.m. local time, about four kilometers northeast of Grindavik.
Police ordered Grindavík’s four thousand residents to leave the city on November 10, because scientific measurements determined that a magma tunnel had extended under the city. Grindavík is not far from the thermal complex Blue lakewhich was closed as a precaution.
The lava appears to be moving north away from Grindavik, the Lava Center Museum posted on Twitter.
The Icelandic president wrote that it was unclear how much destruction the eruption would cause. Godne Thorlasius Johansson, in Facebook. He added that his priority is to save human lives, but the authorities will work hard to protect structures as well.
Iceland is a hotspot for volcanic activity because it lies on tectonic plates that move in opposite directions, allowing magma to emerge. The country has more than thirty active volcanic systems.
However, this was the first time in half a century that an inhabited area of notable proportions had to be completely evacuated in anticipation of an eruption. The continuing threat of an eruption has raised fears of destructive lava flows, although scientists have played down the possibility of major disruption to global travel or reduced air quality in the Northern Hemisphere.
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