Volcanoes
Volcanic eruption in Iceland with huge lava fountains
A helicopter ventures close to the magma. photo
© Uncredited/Icelandic Coast Guard/AP/dpa
The Icelandic earth shook for weeks. The residents of Grindavík had to leave their homes. Now a kilometer-long volcanic fissure has opened up near the town and lava is gushing out of it.
The Icelandic earth shook for weeks. The residents of Grindavík had to leave their homes. Now a kilometer-long volcanic fissure has opened up near the small town and lava is gushing out of it. In some places the spectacle – viewed from the air – resembles a glowing red river delta.
The volcanic eruption southwest of the Icelandic capital Reykjavík began late Monday evening. Over the course of the night, the long fissure formed from which around 100 to 200 cubic meters of lava flowed per second.
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The eruption near Grindavík had been announced for a long time. Swarms of earthquakes had been measured in the area since October. Volcanic eruptions had already been announced in the past. The residents of Grindavík had to leave their homes. Recently, however, seismic activity had decreased again. Residents were allowed to return to their homes during the day, but were not allowed to spend the night there. The Blue Lagoon geothermal pool, which is extremely popular with tourists, was also reopened after a temporary closure at the weekend.
Many residents cannot celebrate Christmas at home
The mayor of Grindavík, Fannar Jónasson, told radio station RÚV that the evacuated residents of the town were doing well given the circumstances. Fortunately, the craters closest to Grindavík are extinct. There is no great danger to the place at the moment, said Jónasson. Nevertheless, many residents are disappointed that they cannot celebrate Christmas at home.
The volcanic eruption near Grindavík is the fourth in the past three years on the Reykjanes Peninsula. It was only in the summer of this year that a fissure opened up in the area and lava was spraying out of it. The natural spectacle attracted many onlookers.
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Hjördís Gudmundsdóttir from the Icelandic Civil Protection Authority called on Icelanders and tourists to stay away from the volcanic area during the current eruption. She said on Icelandic television that she could understand why people wanted to see the natural spectacle. The volcano is large and very active compared to the last eruption. The police warned on Facebook about toxic gases that could escape in the volcanic area.
The strength of the outbreak is waning somewhat
The volcanic eruption near Grindavík has now decreased in strength, as geoscientist Magnús Tumi Gudmundsson told broadcaster RÚV on Tuesday morning. However, a considerable amount of lava continues to flow. Gudmundsson said on television that just a few hours after the eruption began north of Grindavík, approximately twice as much lava had escaped than during the most recent volcanic eruption in the summer of this year.
All roads to Grindavík should be closed for the next few days – except for rescue personnel and scientists, the police said on Facebook. As the Icelandic government announced, air traffic to and from Iceland is not affected. Keflavík Airport is still easy to reach.