The Icelandic Meteorological and Seismological Office (MET) has reported that a volcano erupted about three kilometers northeast of the town of Grindavík at 10:17 p.m. (11:17 p.m. Spanish peninsular time). It is a small fishing community on the Reykjanes Peninsula, just 60 kilometers from Reykjavík, the Icelandic capital.
“Seismic activity and measurements from GPS devices indicate that the magma is moving southwest and the eruption may continue towards Grindavik,” the Meteorological Office said. The crack in the earth's surface is about 3.5 kilometers long and has ejected between 100 and 200 cubic meters of lava.
The eruption is located near Sundhnúkagígar, about three kilometers northeast of Grindavík, and can be observed via nearby webcams. “The eruption was preceded by an earthquake swarm that began at 9 p.m.,” the MET said on its website. The nearby Keflavik International Airport in Reykjavik remains open, although with numerous delays for both arrivals and departures.
There have been earthquakes in the area since the end of October and an eruption was already predicted. Authorities had already evacuated almost 4,000 residents of the town of Grindavík last month and closed the nearby Blue Lagoon spa.
Icelandic President Gudni Johannesson wrote a message on his Now we wait to see what the forces of nature have in store for us. “We are prepared and remain vigilant.”
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There have been several outbreaks in unpopulated areas on the Reykjanes Peninsula in recent years. In March 2021, lava fountains emerged from a fissure between 500 and 750 meters long in the region's Fagradalsfjall volcanic system. Volcanic activity in the area continued for six months this year, prompting thousands of Icelanders and tourists to visit the site. A three-week eruption occurred in the same area in August 2022, followed by another in July of the same year.
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