Since Thursday, November 9, 2023, there have been strong earthquakes on the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland, which could well lead to the Fagradalsfjall volcanic eruption. A state of emergency was declared.
Iceland was declared a state of emergency. Since Thursday, November 9, there have been numerous seismic episodes in the country. The possible eruption of a volcano is currently threatening Icelanders.
Iceland is important 33 active volcanic systems. Since Thursday, numerous seismic episodes have been recorded in the southwest of the Reykajnes peninsula, where the Fagradalsfjall volcano is located, which could indicate a volcanic eruption.
1,485 earthquakes in two days
In total, 1485 earthquakes in the last 48 hours recorded shows Ouest France. On Friday around 5:30 p.m., two earthquakes measuring 5.2 magnitude were felt in the capital. There have been 24,000 shocks since October 25th felt in Iceland.
Many photos of cracked roads and valleys were published on X (ex-twitter).
Others shared that the earthquakes were worrying.
According to statements from the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) on Saturday, there is one “significant” risk of eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula because the size of the subsurface magmatic intrusion and the speed at which it is moving is many times greater than previously measured in the region.
“The likelihood of an eruption in the near future must be considered significant,” Icelandic newspaper Morgunbladid said.
The IMO shows an accumulation of magma at a depth of five kilometers. If it rises to the surface, it will trigger a volcanic eruption, our colleagues point out.
This outbreak could occur “at any time in the coming days.”he said at the end of the day after detecting renewed seismic activity.
Areas already evacuated
The Icelandic Civil Protection Authority ordered the night from Friday to Saturdaycomplete evacuation of Grindavika nearby fishing village with around 4,000 residents, but emphasized that it was not an emergency operation.
Increased seismic activity led to this on Thursday Closure of the Blue Lagoon geothermal spaone of the country’s main tourist attractions.
If the city of Svartsengi is affected by the eruption, this could result Lack of electricity and water for 30,000 residents in the capital who are dependent on this energy supplier.
A region that is “used” to these phenomena
Reykjanes, located southwest of the capital Reykjavik, is a sensitive volcanic and seismic region. In March 2021, lava fountains bubbled spectacularly from a 500 to 750 meter long fissure in the Fagradalsfjall volcanic system.
Volcanic activity in the area continued for six months this year, attracting thousands of Icelanders and tourists to the site. There was a three-week outbreak there in August 2022, followed by another in July this year.
The Fagradalsfjall volcanic system, about 6 kilometers wide and 19 kilometers long, had been inactive for more than 6,000 years before the recent eruptions.
In 2010, the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano was so powerful that 100,000 flights were canceled, Ouest France states.