Reykjavík, Apr. 1, (dpa/GNA) – Glowing red lava is once again bubbling up from the ground in Iceland as a fresh volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula, south-west of Reykjavík, began on Tuesday morning near the fishing village of Grindavík, the meteorological office said.
Live footage from the broadcaster RÚV showed the lava making its way to the Earth’s surface from a massive fissure.
The Meteorological Office stated about 45 minutes after the eruption began that the fissure was now approximately 700 metres long. Even though it appeared relatively stable, it could not be ruled out that it might extend further north or south.
According to RÚV, a new fissure opened shortly thereafter near Grindavík. The Icelandic Civil Protection Agency declared an emergency.
In the early hours of Tuesday, the impending eruption was heralded by an increasingly intense swarm of earthquakes in the region.
The popular tourist geothermal spa, Blue Lagoon, was evacuated quickly, as was Grindavík, where rescue workers reported feeling the tremors on site.
There were fears that cracks could open up in the ground within the village. Nevertheless, eight people decided to stay in Grindavík, RÚV reported, citing the police.
On the Reykjanes Peninsula, such so-called fissure eruptions are no longer a rarity: The current eruption is the 11th since 2021 and the eighth since December 2023 alone.
The previous eruption began last November and ended after 18 days. How long the eruption will last this time is currently unpredictable.
Initial signs now point to an even larger eruption than previous ones: According to the meteorological office, the underground magma tunnel is estimated to be a substantial 11 kilometres long.
There was particular concern that the lava masses breached a protective wall north of Grindavík. The impact this will have on the lava flow remains unclear.
Given the current wind direction, authorities also warned that gases emitted by the lava could be carried towards the capital region.
The renewed eruption had been expected for weeks, as large magma masses had accumulated in an underground chamber. The magma volume beneath the Sundhnúkur crater has never been greater, according to the Meteorological Office.
These eruptions should not be imagined as those from a classic volcano: Instead, an elongated earth fissure opens, from which glowing red lava bubbles for days – hence the name fissure eruption.
Lava flows in the sparsely populated region generally do not pose a danger to people. However, during one of the previous eruptions, three houses on the outskirts of Grindavík were engulfed by lava, and during the eruption in November, the car park of the Blue Lagoon was also affected.
Large and recently reinforced protective earth walls are intended to protect the infrastructure in the area as effectively as possible.
The eruptions on the Reykjanes Peninsula can be traced back to several volcanic systems with underground magma chambers.
For almost 800 years, the ground beneath the area in the south-west of Iceland had been quiet, until a first eruption occurred in March 2021.
After the first three eruptions at the Fagradalsfjall mountain massif, the series of eruptions shifted to the nearby crater chain Sundhnúkur about a year and a half ago. Researchers believe that it could continue for decades.
GNA
PDC