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CNN –
It is one of the main attractions that draws visitors to Iceland to swim in the milky blue, soothingly warm water.
But the world-famous Blue Lagoon geothermal pool is closed for a week due to the current seismic activity around the site.
The site is part of Iceland’s southwestern Reykjanes Peninsula – a thick finger of land pointing west from the capital Reykjavik into the North Atlantic. In addition to the Blue Lagoon, the peninsula is also home to Iceland’s main airport, Keflavik International.
Iceland is one of the most active volcanic regions on earth. Instead of a central volcano, the Reykjanes Peninsula is dominated by a rift valley with lava fields and cones.
According to the Icelandic Met Office, about 1,400 earthquakes were measured around midday in the 24 hours leading up to Thursday, November 9, with another 800 in the first 14 hours on Friday. Seven of Thursday’s cases were magnitude four or greater – and all occurred on the peninsula between Eldvörp, near the airport, and Sýlingarfell, a mountain east of the Blue Lagoon.
The strongest quake reached a magnitude of 4.8 just before 1 a.m. Thursday west of Þorbjörn, a mountain about a mile south of the Blue Lagoon.
“It is the largest earthquake since activity began on October 25,” the Met Office wrote in a bulletin on Thursday.
“As magma accumulation continues, seismic activity is expected on the Reykjavík Peninsula as magma intrusion leads to increased stress in the region.”
Vibrations could be felt as far away as Reykjavik, a spokesman for the local tourism association told CNN.
In the last 24 hours, 1,200 earthquakes were measured, mostly in the same area and at the same depth – around five kilometers (three miles) below the Earth’s surface. “It is likely that seismic activity will continue and become more episodically intense as magma accumulation continues,” the paper wrote Nov. 8, adding that “uplift continues in the area.”
The area was still active Friday. According to a bulletin from the Icelandic Meteorological Office at 2 p.m. local time, around 800 quakes have already been measured since midnight. A “dense swarm” of quakes began at 7 a.m. and culminated in a magnitude 4.1 quake near Sýlingarfell just before 2 p.m.
However, it also noted that an outbreak is not necessarily imminent. “The fact that there are now larger earthquakes in the area than before does not necessarily mean an increased rate of magma accumulation,” the Met Office bulletin said on Thursday.
Friday’s bulletin warned that earthquakes of up to magnitude 5.5 “are expected” as magma accumulation continues underground. However, they noted: “At this point there is no evidence of magma pushing to the surface.”
Sergio Pitamitz/VWPics/Universal Images Group/Getty Images
The Blue Lagoon has been closed for at least a week.
The Reykjanes Peninsula has now been marked yellow due to the risk of eruptions – a step higher than the rest of the country in green.
According to a statement from Visit Reykjanes, the local tourism board, current activity is similar to that before last year’s eruption of Fagradalsfjall, about 13.5 miles southwest of the Blue Lagoon. Fagradalsfjall has erupted every year since 2021. The most recent eruption occurred from July 10 to August 8, 2023. When trails reopened in August, visitors were warned not to walk on the still “steaming hot” lava.
“There is no way to accurately predict if, where or when this could lead to a volcanic eruption or how large such an eruption could be,” Þuríður Aradóttir Braun, manager of Visit Reykjanes, told CNN.
“This sustained course of events is very similar to the lead-up to the three previous outbreaks on the Reykjanes Peninsula in 2021, 2022 and 2023, but could also be fading, similar to the events we had in 2020.”
“On the one hand, we are witnessing an amazing natural event in real time that may only happen once in a lifetime. On the other hand, it is a major event in nature that we cannot control. We have to respect it and give it space. Volcanic activity is a fact of life in Iceland, and Icelanders have learned to live with its disadvantages and significant advantages, such as geothermal energy.
“We have an excellent team around us that monitors and provides information at all times.”
She stressed that the earthquakes occurred in a “relatively isolated part of Iceland” but said visitors to the peninsula “may have to adjust their daily routine.”
If an outbreak occurs, alerts are sent to all cell phones in the area – including foreign ones.
The Blue Lagoon pool, spa, hotels and restaurants closed on November 9th and are scheduled to reopen at 7 a.m. on November 16th, according to a statement on the website, which continues: “The main reason Taking these precautions is our unwavering commitment to safety and well-being.”
A spokesperson for the site told CNN: “Although the Icelandic authorities have not increased the level of uncertainty during this earthquake period, the main reason for these precautionary measures is our unwavering commitment to prioritizing the safety and well-being of our guests and employees.”
All visitors with bookings will receive a full refund. Guests with reservations by November 15th have already been contacted, they confirmed.
According to the local tourism board, other tour operators near Mount Þorbjörn have also suspended their activities until at least November 16. A road was closed and access to the Elvörp geosite was blocked.
According to a statement from the tourism association, the closures will be reassessed on November 16th.
According to the BBC, a representative from the Icelandic Civil Protection Agency was sent to Grindavik, the town 2.5 miles south of the Blue Lagoon, to “prepare for a possible evacuation of the town” in the event of “magma rising.” the surface.”
RÚV, the Icelandic national broadcasting service, has set up a livestream of the region, including the Blue Lagoon.
Lea Gestsdóttir Gayet, head of public relations and communications at Business Island, told CNN: “We must emphasize that seismic activity is part of Icelandic life, and although Icelanders have adapted to the unique natural terrain, our safety is always our priority .” Guests and local communities. The temporary closure of the Blue Lagoon is a precautionary measure due to recent seismic activity. We are monitoring the situation closely and will continue to provide updates from local authorities.”
CNN has contacted the Icelandic Met Office and the Icelandic Civil Protection Authority for comment.