Emergency
Situation stable after volcanic eruption in Iceland
Scientists at the University of Iceland take measurements and samples. photo
© Marco Di Marco/AP/dpa
Where does the lava flow? So far it looks like the evacuated town of Grindavík will be spared from the volcanic eruption in Iceland. However, Icelandic authorities are cautious.
The police decision follows a phase in which the natural spectacle appears to have calmed down, at least above ground, after it began on Monday evening. On Wednesday, the glowing red lava initially only emerged in isolated places in a snow-covered area, as live recordings from the radio station RÚV showed. During the midday hours, you could see, among other things, how the lava shot up from a kind of smaller crater.
The outbreak could soon subside
The situation seemed significantly more relaxed than at the beginning of the eruption that had been expected for weeks. The lava initially formed a veritable wall of fire that bubbled out of a crack in the earth that was estimated to be four kilometers long. Only a third of this column is currently active, RÚV reported. The activity is stable. However, poor visibility due to snowfall affected the assessment of the situation.
Volcanologist Thorvaldur Thórdarson said the eruption had slowed and could subside in the coming days – possibly before the weekend. The number of earthquakes in the region also decreased noticeably: After the eruption on Tuesday night was accompanied by hundreds of tremors – including two with a magnitude of over 4.0 – there were only isolated tremors on Wednesday, according to data from the weather office showed.
However, that doesn’t mean the danger is over. The weather office warned that new chimneys could suddenly open. The authority also issued a hazard assessment map on which the risk for Grindavík and its surroundings was assessed as high – even though the lava has not yet flowed towards the coastal town, which is almost 40 kilometers southwest of Reykjavik. The assessment is provisionally valid until December 28th, during which time the police ban on staying in Grindavík also applies. The town with its almost 4,000 residents had already been evacuated in November, but residents were recently allowed to return to their homes at least during the day.
Warning for onlookers
The police also asked volcano enthusiasts to think twice about whether they really wanted to undertake the strenuous 18 to 20 kilometer hike to the area in the current weather conditions. Christmas is just around the corner and they want rescue workers to be able to stay at home during the holidays, the authority wrote on Facebook. A spokeswoman for the Civil Protection Authority told RÚV that instead of heading towards the eruption, it would be better to go to a shopping center in Reykjavik to get into the Christmas spirit – or just drink some hot cocoa at home.