A volcano has erupted again in Iceland. There had previously been several earthquakes. The town of Grindavik was hit again, and its residents were brought to safety. An eruption had already occurred there a month ago.
Within a few weeks, another volcano has erupted north of Grindavik in Iceland. In the morning, recordings from the Icelandic radio station RÚV showed glowing red lava gushing out of a long fissure in the earth on the Reykjanes Peninsula southwest of Reykjavik for the first time since mid-December.
Earthquake series with 200 vibrations
A few hours before the eruption, a new intense series of earthquakes with more than 200 tremors was recorded. The initially strongest one was magnitude 3.5 early in the morning. The Icelandic Meteorological Agency warned that magma was moving beneath the Earth’s surface and the likelihood of an eruption was high.
The residents of the fishing town of Grindavik were evacuated as a precaution. The construction of a protective wall had already begun north of the town. Nevertheless, lava is now flowing towards Grindavik, it was said.
Iceland is the most active volcanic region in Europe
The last time an eruption occurred in the area was in the late evening of December 18th, when lava initially bubbled out of a fissure in the earth several kilometers long. However, this eruption – it was the fourth on the peninsula in three years – significantly decreased in intensity within a few days. Even before Christmas, lava was no longer visible on the earth’s surface.
With more than 30 active volcanic systems, Iceland is the largest and most active volcanic region in Europe. The island nation in the North Atlantic lies on the so-called Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which separates the Eurasian and North American plates.