The eruption adopted a sequence of lots of of earthquakes which prompted the evacuation of Grindavik
A volcano in southwest Iceland despatched lava cascading in the direction of the fishing city of Grindavik early on Sunday, after lots of of earthquakes shook the area and compelled the evacuation of residents in a single day. The incident occurred lower than a month after one other highly effective eruption within the area.
Saturday’s seismic exercise, typically a calling card for an imminent eruption, prompted officers to evacuate the city, about 32 miles southwest of the capital Reykjavik, hours forward of the volcanic occasion – which occurred at about 8am GMT.
The most recent eruption, on the Reykjanes Peninsula the place a string of volcanoes are positioned, follows a fissure final month that erupted and emitted a river of lava. The molten rock flowed away from Grindavik on that event. Residents had been permitted to return to the city on December 22, about six weeks after that they had been initially evacuated from their properties following weeks of earthquakes.
Within the weeks following December’s occasion, defensive partitions had been constructed round sections of the volcano’s perimeter within the hope of diverting lava flows away from the Grindavik group of about 3,800 individuals. Nevertheless, the limitations – made out of earth and rock – seem to have been breached by magma, officers stated.
❗🌋🇮🇸 – Iceland’s volcano has erupted for the second time, now being dangerously near the town of Grindavík. pic.twitter.com/0vIWk5fjrH
— 🔥🗞The Informant (@theinformantofc) January 14, 2024
“A crack has opened on each side of the defenses which have begun to be constructed north of Grindavik,” Iceland’s Meteorological Workplace (IMO) stated on Sunday following a surveillance flight over the affected space.
“Lava is now flowing in the direction of Grindavik,” the IMO added. “Primarily based on measurements from the Coast Guard’s helicopter, the perimeter is now about 450 meters (1,500ft) from the northernmost homes within the city.”
IMO modeling has indicated that it might take a number of hours for the lava to achieve Grindavik if it continues in its present course, state broadcaster RUV stated.
Iceland’s President, Gudni Johannesson, stated on X (previously Twitter) that “no lives are in peril” because of the volcanic eruption, however added that there could also be a menace to infrastructure. He added that no interruption to air journey is anticipated.
Wow, the view from the employees constructing that lava defensive wall just a few hours in the past: they weee surrounded by molten rock and managed to get out with virtually all their very important gear earlier than the location was subsumed. pic.twitter.com/tKdeOijg8g
— Dr Robin George Andrews 🌋☄️ (@SquigglyVolcano) January 14, 2024
In 2010, the eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano spewed 1 / 4 of a billion cubic meters of ash into the ambiance, prompting the cancelation of round 100,000 flights over an eight-day interval.
Sunday’s eruption is the fifth such incident since 2021 on the Reykjanes peninsula, the place about two-thirds of Iceland’s inhabitants resides. Beforehand, volcanoes within the area had been dormant for about 800 years.
Iceland is positioned between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates which, as a result of they transfer in reverse instructions, make the realm susceptible to excessive seismic and volcanic exercise.
