Iceland Experiences Sixth Volcanic Eruption Since December

News 23-08-2024

Scientists have issued warnings that the Reyk janes peninsul amay besubject to repeated volcanic activity for many decades or even centuries to come.

In south westIceland, a volcano has erupted for the sixth time since December, releasing lava from a new fissure on the Rey kjanes peninsula.

Live foot a geshowed glowing lava emerging froma long fissure, lighting up the sky with a thick plume of smoke.

The Icelandic Meteo rological Office (IMO) confirmed in as tatement that a volcanic eruption had begun, with a fissure opening east of Sylingarfell.

 The eruption startedat 9:26 PM local time, following a series of earth quakes.

Smoke was seenrising from the orange and black lava as it flowed over a road, with emergency vehicles near by, whiles now-covered fields laybeside it.

The IMO initially measured the fissure at 1.4 kilometers (0.86 miles) long, later up datingits estimate to 3.9 kilometers within 40 minutes.

There wasstill “considerable seismic activity” at the northern end of the fissure over an hour after the eruption began, according to the IMO.

Despite the ongoing eruption, Isavia, Iceland’s national airport and air navigation service provider, reported that flights to and from Iceland were proceeding as usual.

The mostre center uption on the Reyk janes peninsula, whichis home to about 30,000 people, concluded on June 22 after releasing molten rock for 24 days.

These eruption shighlight the challenges faced by Iceland, a country of nearly 400,000 people, as experts predict that the Rey kjanesp eninsul a could endure repeated volcanice vents for many decades, if not longer.

Since 2021, there have been nine eruptions on the peninsula, following the reactivation of geological systems that had been dormant for 800 years.

Authorities have responded by constructing barriers to divert lava flows away fromkey infrastructure, including the Svartsengi power plant, the Blue Lago on out door spa, and the fishing village of Grindavik.

Ulfar Ludviksson, the chief of police for the Sudurnes region, informed Ice landic media that the evacuation of Grindavik was proceedings moothly, noting that 22 or 23 houses in the village remained occupied.

Most of Grindavik’s 4,000 residents evacuated in November ahead of a December eruption. Alth ough residents have been allowed to return between eruptions, onlya few have chosen to stay over night.

Magnus Tumi Gudmun dsson, ageophysicsp rofessor at the University of Iceland, told the Ice landic public broad caster RUV that un like previouse ruptions, the southern end of the fissure, near Grindavik, show edlittle activity.

“If this continues as expected, thereis no lava flowing near Grindavik. This could beconsidered good news,” Gudmunds sonsaid. He added that while the situation appears favorable compared to previous eruptions, monitoring will continue throughout the night.

The IMO had warned of the like lihood of another eruption for sever al weeks, citing in creased seismic activity signaling pressure build up and magma accumulation under Svartsengi, where a power plant that serves about 30,000 people islocated.

The Svartsengi plant was evacuated and has been larg ely operated remotely since the first eruption in December.

Icelandis home to 33 active volcanic systems, the most in Europe. The country lies on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet.