Published December 19, 2023
A volcano in the southwestern region of Iceland erupted on Monday, sending geysers of hot lava as high as 330 feet. The eruption was located near the Svartsengi geothermal power plant near the town of Grindavík, which was evacuated last month over an increase in seismic activity, the NY Times reports.
“We are looking at a worst-case scenario,” said Icelanding volcanologist, Thorvaldur Thordarson, adding “The eruption appears big, and only about two kilometers from major infrastructure.”
Over the past two months, thousands of earthquakes have been detected in Iceland, leading to the November evacuations as homes and roads were damaged by the events. The situation deteriorated so rapidly that authorities declared a state of emergency, evacuating Grindavík – home to more than 3,000 people who live near the volcano.
Recently, the Meteorological office warned of a “significant likelihood of a volcanic eruption in coming days.”
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SOURCE: www.zerohedge.com
RELATED: Iceland volcano erupts after weeks of increased seismic activity
Iceland volcanic eruption happened nearly an hour and 15 minutes after an ‘earthquake swarm’
Published December 18, 2023
A volcano in the southwestern portion of Iceland erupted on Monday after weeks of increased and intense seismic activity, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office.
In a post on X, the Icelandic Met Office said the eruption started at about 10:17 p.m. local time, after an “earthquake swarm” that began an hour and 15 minutes prior.
The volcano is located about 3 km north of the fishing town of Grindavik, which has a population of less than 4,000 people.
Reuters reported that authorities evacuated the inhabitants of Grindavik and closed the nearby Blue Lagoon geothermal spa out of fear of a significant outbreak on the Reykjanes peninsula.
The Met Office said a Coast Guard helicopter would be taking off to confirm the exact location and size of the eruption, adding that more information would be provided as soon as it becomes available.
An image posted to the agency’s website showed lava spewing out of cracks in the ground.
The Met Office said the crack in the earth’s surface was about 2.1 miles long and had grown rapidly.
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SOURCE: www.foxnews.com
RELATED: Iceland volcano live: After weeks of earthquakes, the eruption finally begins near Grindavik
Published December 18, 2023
Huge cracks have appeared on the streets of an Icelandic town threatened by a volcanic eruption
A volcano has erupted on the Reykjanes peninsula of south-west Iceland after weeks of intense earthquake activity.
About 4,000 people were evacuated last month from Grindavik, a fishing town about 4km (2.5 miles) away.
The eruption started north of the town at 22:17 local time (22:17 GMT) on Monday, the Icelandic Met Office said.
A resident living near Grindavik described “crazy” and “scary” scenes that night, and said she could still see the volcano exploding on Tuesday.
Iceland has been braced for volcanic activity for weeks. Since late October, the region around the capital Reykjavik has been experiencing an increase in earthquake activity.
The eruption can be seen from Reykjavik, which is about 42km north-east of Grindavik.
An eyewitness in the capital told the BBC that half of the sky in the direction of the town was “lit up in red” from the eruption, and smoke could be seen billowing into the air.
Experts say they don’t expect the eruption to bring the same level of disruption as one that took place elsewhere in Iceland in 2010, which halted European air travel.
The Icelandic Met Office said at 12:30 GMT on Tuesday that the power of the eruption was decreasing, but that gases from the volcano could still be felt in Reykjavik on Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning.
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SOURCE: www.bbc.com
