Iceland volcano dwell: Eruption lastly begins close to Grindavik after weeks of earthquakes | EUROtoday

It could also be spectacular, however Monday’s volcanic eruption in Iceland wasn’t a shock.

Officials ordered mass evacuations out of the city of Grindavík final month amid heightened seismic exercise.

The Independent was on the scene because it occurred.

A livestream of the eruption confirmed the night sky lit up in crimson, orange, and yellow, as lava seemed to be taking pictures into the air.

“There are super-high plumes of magma. Now it’s a total guess, but the highest plumes are probably 150 metres. This means that the lava is flowing very quickly from the crater,” volcanologist Þorvald Þórðarson advised Iceland Monitor.

“This may be close to the worst case imaginable. Unfortunately.”

Images and livestreams by native information outlet RUV confirmed lava spewing from fissures within the floor.

A coast guard helicopter will likely be within the air shortly to verify the precise location and measurement of the eruption, the Met Office mentioned.

Reykjavik’s worldwide airport, which is situated close by, remained open.

“At the moment, there are no disruptions to arrivals or departures at Keflavik Airport,” it mentioned on its web site.

Fearing a major outbreak on the Reykjanes peninsula, authorities had evacuated the almost 4,000 inhabitants of the fishing city of Grindavik and closed the close by Blue Lagoon geothermal spa.

The peninsula in recent times noticed a number of eruptions in unpopulated areas, however the present outbreak was believed to pose a direct threat to the city, authorities have mentioned.

It is estimated that the Icelandic treasury’s bills will improve by over £30million this yr as a result of earthquakes on the Reykjanes Peninsula.

£11.5million will likely be used to help employees in Grindavík.

The Icelandic authorities mentioned about £15million will likely be used to construct a defence wall on the energy plant in Svartsengi, however this mission will likely be financed with a particular payment for homeowners for the following three years.

Iceland’s Met Office has revealed that influx into the magma tunnel that fashioned on November 10 inflicting earthquakes to rock Grindavik has “probably stopped”.

The newest knowledge means that the chance of an eruption over the magma tunnel on this spherical of occasions on the Reykjanes Peninsula has subsequently decreased considerably.

But they add: “However, magma accumulation continues under Svartsengi.

“This upheaval at Svartsengi, which began in October, is not over, but it can be said that a new chapter is beginning with an increased probability of a new magma run.

“As mentioned before, the magma tunnel that lies under Grindavík was formed when magma escaped from the magma intrusion at Svartsengi. That sequence of events is likely to repeat itself.”

Þorvaldur Þórðarson, professor of volcanology on the University of Iceland, says if the land mass on the Reykjanes Peninsula continues on the identical fee as now an eruption may occur.

“It could then lead to an eruption or magma intrusion at an even lower depth, and there would be some earthquakes with that, but I think it’s unlikely that it will be directly under Grindavík,” says Þorvaldur.

But he he doubts that the sequence of occasions on the eve of November 10 will repeat itself.

Iceland is very prone to pure disasters as a result of it lies on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge – a divergent plate boundary the place the North American Plate and the Eurasian Plate are shifting away from one another, resulting in volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

Three eruptions have taken place on the peninsula of Reykjanes close to the Fagradalsfjall volcano within the final three years: in March 2021, August 2022 and July 2023.

However, earlier eruptions didn’t trigger harm, having occurred in distant valleys.

As Iceland waits in trepidation for the looming volcanic eruption, we check out a few of the greatest volcanic eruptions within the final decade: