All of Iceland is “on the edge” as experts say earthquakes that have rumbled beneath the surface for days and shaken a city are a precursor to a volcanic eruption.
More than 500 quakes were recorded on the southwestern Reykjanes peninsula yesterday, and although they were slightly weaker than in previous days, an eruption from the Fagradalsfjall volcano is still expected.
Iceland has been rocked by thousands of earthquakes in recent days, with a state of emergency declared on Friday and around 4,000 people forced to leave the town of Grindavik.
Evacuated residents reported feeling “seasick” from the tremors and hearing “unholy noises” from underground as they fled their homes.
Huge sinkholes have opened up around the city, and now dramatic Coast Guard aerial photos show a chasm running through the center, with smoke pouring out of gaping fissures as magma rises.
Roads near Grindavik have been completely torn up by volcanic activity and an excavator was seen carrying out repairs today
Smoke was observed rising from fissures as volcanic activity continued beneath the surface
Huge sinkholes have formed on a road near Grindavik due to volcanic activity
The Fagradalsfjall volcano spews lava after an eruption on July 16, 2023
“We believe this intrusion is literally floating and is now in equilibrium just below the Earth’s surface,” said Matthew James Roberts, director of the Meteorological Bureau’s Services and Research Division.
“We now have this enormous uncertainty. ‘Will there be an outbreak and if so, what damage will be caused?’ he said.
Magma has been accumulating beneath the city and experts said yesterday that a “corridor” about 14 kilometers long had developed beneath it, with an eruption possible anywhere along the intrusion.
Local media reported that seismic activity overnight was similar to the previous day, with “approximately a hundred tremors per hour.”
Most were small, but the largest were 3.1 and 2.8, according to Visir.is.
Hans Vera, a Belgian-born 56-year-old who has lived in Iceland since 1999, said his family’s home was constantly shaking.
“You could never stay calm, it was always shaking, so there was no way to sleep,” said Vera, who now lives at his sister-in-law’s house in a suburb of Reykjavik.
“Not only the people of Grindavik are shocked by this situation, but the whole of Iceland.”
A car drives toward a crack in a street in the Icelandic town of Grindavik on Monday, November 13th
A resident of the Icelandic town of Grindavik removes some of her belongings from her home after being ordered to evacuate
Grindavik residents were briefly allowed to return to their homes on Monday after being asked to evacuate on Saturday
Dramatic aerial photos from the Coast Guard show an abyss running through the middle of the city
Huge cracks have appeared in the streets and around houses in Grindavik as magma builds up beneath the surface
“We are really concerned about all the houses and infrastructure in the area,” Vidir Reynisson, head of Iceland’s Civil Protection and Emergency Management, said earlier this week.
“The magma is now at a very shallow depth, so we expect an eruption within a few hours, or at least within a few days.”
Icelanders are “essentially just waiting,” local journalist Holmfridur Gisladottir told Sky News on Monday.
A threatened eruption has relived for many locals the trauma of the 2010 explosion at another Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjallajökull.
A huge ash cloud was created, leading to the largest shutdown of global aviation since World War II. 50,000 flights were canceled and eight million passengers were affected.
A sign of the village of Grindavik, which was ordered to be evacuated due to volcanic activity
Roads were closed as large fissures appeared following tremors and increased seismic and volcanic activity
In the southwestern city, roads were destroyed and 4,000 people were evacuated following earthquakes
Mr Roberts discussed the differences between a possible eruption of Fagradalsfjall and Eyjafjallajökull, saying an eruption could spray lava over the city but was less likely to trigger the same ash explosion.
He told BBC R4’s Today program on Monday: “Firstly, there is no ice cap on top and it is not a stratovolcano, so there would be no explosive explosion of volcanic ash into the atmosphere.”
“This would be a lava-producing volcanic eruption along a series of fissures, and that would be the greatest danger.”
He added that an outbreak that “lasts for weeks” was possible, meaning roads and other infrastructure could be “at risk.”
Due to ongoing volcanic and seismic activity around Grindavik, the cracks have worsened. Picture taken November 13th
Large cracks appear on a road during volcanic activity near Grindavik, Iceland, on November 11
In March 2021, spectacular lava fountains erupted 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 this year.