Iceland’s Fagradalsfjall volcano could erupt at any moment. If you want to see what is happening in real time, webcams film the risk area live.
The probability of an outbreak is still considered “high”. Iceland declared a state of emergency last week after an 800-meter-deep, 15-kilometer-long magma tunnel connected to the Fagradalsfjall volcano was discovered on the Reykjanes peninsula in the southwest of the country.
After remaining dormant for more than eight centuries, the volcano suddenly woke up in March 2021. Since then, Mount Fagradalsfjall has erupted again twice, in August 2022 and then in July 2023. However, despite the high seismic activity recorded in recent days, it is no longer active and it is impossible to say when the next one will occur. The exact location also remains difficult to determine, although it is undoubtedly very close to the magma tunnel identified by scientists.
The risk zone filmed in real time
A risk zone filmed in real time by multiple webcams (see below), found on the Live From Island platform and other websites that provide real-time video feeds of the Reykjanes peninsula and the surrounding area of Grindavik, population 4,000, was published on Evacuated over the weekend.
Iceland has a total of 33 active volcanic systems, the highest number in Europe. The island straddles the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a gap in the ocean floor that separates the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. In 2010, a massive eruption of another Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjallajökull, led to the cancellation of around 100,000 flights, stranding more than 10 million travelers.
Matthieu DELACHARLERY