A volcano south of Iceland’s capital Reykjavik began erupting Monday evening, the country’s meteorological institute said.
According to the institute, the volcanic eruption occurred on the Reykjanes peninsula, in the southwestern part of the country.
“A volcanic eruption has started on the Reykjanes peninsula. This can be seen, among other things, by web cameras,” the announcement reads.
The nearby town of Grindavik was evacuated in early November over fears of a possible eruption. The scene is located a few dozen kilometers south of Reykjavik.
Iceland has been on high alert for a possible eruption for weeks after intense seismic activity in the southwestern peninsula.
The eruption was preceded by a series of minor earthquakes.
“The lava flows from the fissure to the ground at a speed of approximately 100-200 cubic meters per second, which is many times higher than that of the eruptions that have occurred on the peninsula in recent years”, specified the Meteorological Institute.
As of midnight local time, the gap was estimated to be about four kilometers long.
Kristin Jonsdottir, a seismologist at the Finnish Meteorological Institute, told Icelandic national broadcaster RUV that it was difficult to estimate the duration of the eruption.
“Based on the intensity and size, it is likely to last more than three weeks,” the researcher said.
According to Jonsdottir, eruptions are usually strongest in the initial phase.
According to the mayor of Grindavik, Fannar Jonasson, the location of the eruption was not a surprise.
“According to scientists, this was the most likely place for an eruption. The timing was surprising because the situation had already started to calm down,” Jonasson told the national broadcaster.
Local police chief Ulfar Ludviksson is sure that no person was present in Grindavik or the Svartseng power plant in the immediate vicinity of the eruption when the eruption began.
2023-12-19 03:12:00
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