HomeInternational NewsSeventh Eruption in Southwest Iceland: Lava Flows from New Fissure

Seventh Eruption in Southwest Iceland: Lava Flows from New Fissure

A volcano in southwestern Iceland has erupted for the sixth time since December, according to the country’s meteorological office. The eruption began on Thursday evening at 21:26 local time (21:26 GMT), with live videos showing red lava flowing from a new fissure on the Reykjanes Peninsula. The total length of the fissure was approximately 3.9 kilometers (2.4 miles) and had expanded by 1.5 kilometers (0.93 miles) in just 40 minutes, the meteorological office stated in a release.

Iceland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the eruption posed no threat to life and that the nearby area had been evacuated. “The impact is limited to a localized area near the eruption site,” the ministry posted on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter). The regional police chief, Ulfar Ludviksson, told Icelandic media that the evacuation of the neighboring fishing town of Grindavik was proceeding smoothly and added that 22 or 23 homes were currently occupied.

Most of Grindavik’s 4,000 residents were evacuated in November ahead of an eruption in December. Although residents have since been allowed to return between eruptions, only a few have chosen to spend the night there. Iceland’s national airport and air traffic service provider, Isavia, reported that flights to and from the country were “operating normally despite the ongoing eruption.” The luxurious geothermal spa and hotel, Blue Lagoon, announced that it had closed and evacuated its guests.

The meteorological office stated that there was still “significant seismic activity” at the northern end of the fissure more than an hour after the eruption began and reported that an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.0 was recorded at 22:37 local time (22:37 GMT).

The eruptions highlight the challenges facing the nearly 400,000-person island nation, as researchers warn that the Reykjanes Peninsula may experience repeated eruptions for decades or even centuries. Since 2021, there have been nine eruptions on the peninsula, six of which have occurred since December, following the reactivation of geological systems that had been dormant for 800 years.

In response, authorities have constructed artificial barriers to redirect lava flows away from critical infrastructure, including the Svartsengi power plant, Blue Lagoon outdoor spa, and the town of Grindavik. The most recent eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula, which is home to about 30,000 people or nearly 8% of the country’s total population, ended on June 22 after ejecting jets of molten rock for 24 days.

The latest eruption occurred in the Sundhnukar crater area east of Mount Sylingafell, partially overlapping with other recent eruptions on the Reykjanes Peninsula. The volcanic system in the peninsula does not have a central crater; rather, eruptions occur by opening massive fissures in the ground. Studies have shown that magma is accumulating underground, prompting warnings of new volcanic activity in the region located just south of Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik.

Iceland is known to have more than 30 active volcanoes, making the Nordic European island a popular destination for volcanic tourism—a niche sector attracting adventurous tourists.

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