2023-12-19 12:25:51
The intensity of the eruption of the volcano that began spewing lava last night southwest of Iceland’s capital, Reykjavík, is decreasing, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office, while Icelandic authorities have created a safety zone in the affected area, which It was already evacuated weeks ago.
In its latest report at 03:00 local time, the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) indicated that the intensity of the eruption, which began at 22:17 local time on the Reykjanes peninsula, about 4 kilometers northeast of Grindavík and “was decreasing” four hours later.
“At the beginning of the eruption, large lava fountains and intense seismicity were observed on the dam. The power of the eruption has decreased over time, as have the seismicity and deformation,” the IOM indicated.
“This is evident from seismic and GPS measurements. The fact that activity is already decreasing is not an indication of how long the eruption will last, but rather that it is reaching a state of equilibrium. This development has been observed at the beginning of all eruptions on the Reykjanes Peninsula in recent years,” IMO explained.
The president of Iceland, Guðni Jóhannesson, wrote in a message on the social network
“Now we wait to see what the forces of nature have in store for us. We are repaired and remain vigilant,” he said.
The Prime Minister of Iceland, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, recalled on the social network Facebook that the evacuation in Grindavík began on November 10.
???????? | Iceland declares a state of emergency due to the eruption of a volcano near Grindavík. The speed of the lava flow is between 100 and 200 cubic meters per second. pic.twitter.com/IWW7IzQEvf
— World Alert (@AlertaMundoNews) December 19, 2023
At the end of November, the Icelandic authorities decided to suspend the state of emergency declared twelve days earlier in Grindavík due to seismic activity, considering that the probability of an eruption within the limits of that town had decreased.
“Now we see the earth opening up and we can thank all of our good first responders and scientists who have patrolled this area over the past few weeks and months,” he said.
The prime minister explained that barriers or “defense parks” have been created, “which will make a significant difference.”
“Our thoughts are as before with the local people, we hope for the best (…),” Jakobsdóttir said.
???????? | THE LATEST: The fissure is now 3.5 kilometers long and continues to grow at both ends near Grindavík, Iceland, according to local officials.
The lava currently appears to flow mainly northwards. pic.twitter.com/I0hz0xHduI
— World Alert (@AlertaMundoNews) December 19, 2023
Last night he indicated that lava is spreading laterally from both sides of the newly opened fissures and that, from real-time GPS measurements, “significant ground deformation has accompanied the opening of the fissures.”
The IMO explained in its latest bulletin that the eruptive fissure is about 4 kilometers long, with the northern end just east of Stóra-Skógfell and the southern end just east of Sundhnúk.
The distance from the southern tip to the edge of Grindavík is almost 3 kilometers, he added.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office said it was continuing to monitor the activity and is in direct contact with civil protection and response units in the area.
He explained that he will have a meeting with Civil Defense today at 9:30 a.m.
EFE
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