In southwest Iceland, a volcano has erupted after weeks of calm, spewing lava and smoke across a vast area, posing a threat to nearby towns. This information comes from Reuters.
Fearing a significant eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula, local authorities evacuated nearly 4,000 residents from the fishing town of Grindavik last month and closed the surrounding geothermal resort, the Blue Lagoon.
“Warning: The eruption has begun north of Grindavik near Hagafell,” reported the Meteorological Bureau on its website. Experts noted that the eruption started just a few kilometers from the town, and cracks in the earth extended towards a village located approximately 40 km from the Icelandic capital, Reykjavik.
Reportedly, the nearby Keflavik International Airport, adjacent to Reykjavik, remains open despite numerous delays in both arrivals and departures.
“Seismic activity, combined with measurements using GPS devices, indicates that magma is moving southwest, and the eruption may continue towards Grindavik,” stated the Icelandic Meteorological Bureau.
According to experts, the eruption is expelling between 100 to 200 cubic meters of lava per second, several times more than in previous eruptions in this region.
