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A volcanic eruption is underway in southwest Iceland, with magma breaking the surface north of the town of Grindavik, the country's weather office said Monday evening.
In live-streamed footage of the eruption, clouds of red smoke rise from searing white lava – all against the backdrop of the pitch-black Icelandic night.
Police ordered the nearly 4,000 residents of Grindavik to leave the village on November 10 after scientific measurements showed that a tunnel of magma had spread beneath the coastal town.
Evacuations are underway in Iceland due to the threat of a possible volcanic eruption
Iceland – also called the Land of Fire and Ice – is a hotspot for volcanic activity because it lies above tectonic plates that move in opposite directions, allowing magma to rise. The country has more than 30 active volcanic systems.
But this was the first time in half a century that a major populated area had to be completely evacuated in anticipation of an eruption. The long-standing threat of an eruption raised fears of destructive lava flows, although scientists downplayed the possibility of significant disruption to global travel or worsening air quality in the Northern Hemisphere.
The magma shift beneath the earth's crust triggered tens of thousands of earthquakes in the region in October and November. Buildings were damaged, open streets split and some made impassable.
Exactly where the volcanic system might erupt has been a matter of uncertainty – and great concern. This wasn't what people would think of as a stereotypical volcano: a cone-shaped mountain spewing lava. This was a stealthier, more unpredictable underground magma flow that tunneled beneath the Reykjanes Peninsula and made its way more slowly to the surface.
“All volcanoes are humbling in some way, but a volcano that appears whenever it wants is truly humbling,” said Robin Andrews, a volcanologist, science journalist and author of the book “Super Volcanoes.” “We may think that we are all powerful and mighty, but we cannot predict what will happen, and when it does, we just have to deal with it. These cracks can easily open. It's crazy. It’s like magic or something.”
Magnús Tumi Guðmundsson, a professor of geophysics at the University of Iceland, said the main concern was that the lava could flow over parts of Grindavik and even reach the Svartsengi geothermal power plant, which provides electricity and helps heat about 30,000 people. The system is now operated remotely.
“There could be significant disruption and major damage,” Guðmundsson said before the eruption. “It’s pretty serious when you have to evacuate 3,700 people and you don’t know when they can come back.”
Large cracks and sinkholes damaged roads and buildings in Grindavik, Iceland, on November 18. The city was evacuated after thousands of volcanic tremors. (Video: AP)
Bryndis Gunnlaugsdottir, 42, a lawyer and former head of the Grindavick City Council, described her city as “extremely proud” and “very concerned.”
“There are all these financial worries,” she said. “But also: 'Will my city still be there?' Our feelings are everywhere.”
Although the town is known to be in a seismically active area – the nearby Fagradalsfjall volcano has erupted in each of the last three years – she said residents were surprised when underground lava was discovered so close. “In all the scenarios that have been designed over the years, the volcano was always supposed to erupt around us, but not in the city. We never felt like our house couldn’t be there,” she said.
Still, she said many residents have long had personal evacuation plans. Her job included preparing a “memory box” with sentimental items, including photos of her parents, trophies and drawings from kindergarten. On the evening of November 10, after “constant earthquakes, so many that you could hardly bear them,” she grabbed the box from the garage and left town.
“Icelanders are so aware of the dynamic and changing volcanic nature of their country that everyone knows what is going on,” Andrews said. “During disasters, you often see that it costs a lot to convince people to leave their homes. But the authorities here didn't have to convince people to leave the country – everyone understands, no one has to give in. It's a relief.”
All of Grindavik was evacuated in the early hours of November 11th. As the wait dragged on, residents were briefly allowed back to collect belongings, including pets, that they had left behind in the rush to leave. An animal rescue organization also worked on the evacuation Pets.
Before the eruption, volcano experts said the event was unlikely to repeat the disruption caused by Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano in 2010, when a huge ash cloud spread across Europe and devastated global air travel for weeks. This volcano produced a large amount of fine ash, due in part to the interaction of the erupting magma with an ice cap. But in this case there is no ice cap.
Ahead of this eruption, experts warned that disruptions to air traffic could still occur and they did not rule out the risk of toxic smoke drifting, particularly for those flying into the wind. In 1783, the Laki volcanic system emitted toxic gases that resulted in the deaths of over half of Iceland's livestock and a famine.
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Guðmundsson said this eruption could be more serious than the recent Fagradalsfjall eruptions, which attracted volcano tourism. Kaleo, an Icelandic band, gave a live acoustic performance in 2021 with splashing lava in the background.
This eruption “is not considered tourist-friendly,” Guðmundsson said. “This could be lava pouring out and destroying infrastructure and houses.”
News outlets installed webcams on nearby volcanic hills so people could watch the eruption.