Iceland Rocked By Volcanic Eruption As Lava Flows Resume
The eruption began at 8:23 p.m. local time after a short lead-up, according to Iceland’s Met Office.
(Bloomberg) -- A volcanic eruption has resumed in Iceland with lava emerging near a fishing town already severely damaged from three previous eruptions at its doorstep since December.
It’s the seventh eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula near the capital city since 2021, when the area woke from an 800-year dormancy. Scientists have warned that volcanic events could continue to happen there at regular intervals in the future.
The eruption began at 8:23 p.m. local time after a short lead-up, according to Iceland’s Met Office.
The magnitude of flows and the location of the activity are similar to those of Feb. 8, the Met Office said. The events are unfolding near Grindavik, a fishing town badly ripped up by earthquakes and the force of eruptions nearby. The area is located 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Iceland’s capital.
As in previous volcanic incidents recently, flights in and out of the country are operating as normal, airport operator Isavia said on its website.
Read More: Why Did Iceland Volcano Erupt? How Dangerous Is It?
Iceland is one of the most geologically active places on earth due to its position between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates on the mid-Atlantic ridge. It has about 30 volcanic systems and more than 600 hot springs.
“At first glance, this eruption seems somewhat less powerful than previous ones and will probably conclude in a few days,” Thor Thordarson, professor of volcanology and petrology at University of Iceland, said by phone.
People Evacuated
Fewer than 10 houses have recently been occupied in Grindavik as authorities have intermittently allowed residents back into town, evacuating them when eruptions appear imminent. That’s even as the town remains dangerous, beset by potentially deadly cracks that have formed in previous seismic events that have ripped up roads, power lines and water pipes.
Such an evacuation was in the final stages when lava emerged north of the town, Hjordis Gudmundsdottir, a spokeswoman at the Civil Protection Authority, said by phone. Iceland’s top tourist attraction, the Blue Lagoon spa, nearby was also evacuated, she said. Earth barriers have been built to protect the area from lava flows.
Other infrastructure in the area include the Svartsengi power plant owned by HS Orka hf and a number of businesses centered around geothermal heat and power. During the previous eruption, all 30,000 inhabitants of the peninsula remained without hot water for several days.
Grindavik and the power infrastructure are unlikely to be further damaged by this eruption unless activity continues for an extended period, volcanologist Thordarson said.
Iceland’s parliament on Feb. 23 passed a law enabling the state to buy all residential properties in Grindavik to help inhabitants build new lives elsewhere. The town was home to about 3,700 people or about 1% of the island’s population.
Grindavik’s destruction over the past months represents the worst volcanic damage in 50 years in Iceland, given most eruptions happen in the wilderness. In 1973, part of a 5,000-person fishing town was buried under lava in the the Westman Islands, off the country’s southeastern coast.
Fissure eruptions on land, such as the current one, produce little ash and usually wreak no havoc on air travel. One of the most disruptive eruptions in Iceland’s recent history happened in 2010 when volcano Eyjafjallajokull in the southern part of the country released a plume of ash so vast that it grounded air traffic across Europe for weeks, resulting in the cancellation of 100,000 flights and affecting over 10 million people.
(Updates with comment from volcanologist from seventh, evacuations from eighth paragraph.)
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