A volcano erupts in Iceland northeast of the city of Grindavk

2023-12-19 09:30:35

Updated Tuesday, December 19, 2023 – 08:30

The eruption has been preceded by a swarm of earthquakes

Hypnatic eruption of a volcano northeast of the Icelandic city of Grindavk

The Icelandic Meteorological and Seismological Office (MET) reported this Monday night that a volcn those eruptive about 4 kilometers northeast of the city of Frame avk.

At 10:17 p.m. (same time in mainland Spain) a volcanic eruption north of Grindavk, on the Reykjanes peninsula. The eruptive is located near Sundhnkaggarabout four kilometers northeast of Grindavk, and can be seen via nearby webcams.

“The eruption was preceded by a earthquake swarm which began at 9:00 p.m.,” the MET said on its website. “A Coast Guard helicopter will take off shortly to confirm the exact location and size of the eruption,” the statement added.

Although this new eruption may not generate too many problems since it could be stabilizing, the OMI stated this Tuesday. “The power of the eruption that began about four hours ago appears to be decreasing,” they wrote on their website.

“That activity is already decreasing is not an indication of the duration of the eruption, but rather that it is stabilizing“said the meteorological institute, highlighting that a similar trend had been observed at the beginning of previous eruptions on the peninsula of Reykjanes.

Fourth volcano eruption in two years

This new eruption, the fourth in two years, occurred three kilometers from a town of 4,000 inhabitantsGrindavik, evacuated since November 11, after the declaration of a state of emergency in the region following a significant accumulation of magma. The crack is approximately four kilometers longsaid the IMO.

All roads around Grindavk are closed and are expected to remain closed for the next few days, the police announced on Facebook, specifying that the population is not in any danger as it is.

In 2021, 2022 and last July, volcanic eruptions, in a nearby uninhabited area, became major tourist attractions, attracting almost 680,000 visitorsaccording to the Icelandic Tourist Board.

Overnight, Iceland’s head of civil protection and emergency management, Vdir Reynissonwarned that this new eruption “is not a tourist eruption and must be observed from very far away,” on local public television RUV.

Reykjanes had had no eruptions for eight centuries.

Until March 2021, the Reykjanes Peninsula, south of the capital Reykjavik, had been eruption-free for eight centuries. According to volcanologists, the new cycle on the peninsula could last decades.

Thirty-three volcanic systems are considered active in this country of fire and ice, the most volcanic region in Europe.