Iceland volcano erupts once more, sending lava towards Grindavik | EUROtoday

As of Wednesday night, there was “still considerable lava fountaining” on the principle a part of the fissure, which prolonged south of the Hagafell mountain, the Icelandic Meteorological Office mentioned.

Gas air pollution may have an effect on Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, on Wednesday evening into Thursday, it added.

Grindavik is about 30 miles southwest of the capital. Most of the city’s practically 4,000 residents had been evacuated earlier than the volcano’s first eruption in December. The space can be residence to one among Iceland’s largest vacationer attracts, the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa.

Grindavik, the Blue Lagoon and a close-by energy plant had been evacuated earlier than noon, in response to Iceland’s nationwide broadcaster, RUV. The eruption started at 12:46 p.m. native time, in response to the meteorological workplace.

Barriers constructed to guard the city held, though there was “significant damage” to native pipes and roads, Magnús Tumi Guðmundsson, a professor of geophysics on the University of Iceland, advised RUV. He mentioned it wasn’t stunning that the most recent eruption was extra highly effective than earlier ones, as a result of extra magma had gathered.

Volcanic exercise isn’t uncommon in Iceland, however the eruptions over the previous few months have occurred in a zone on the Reykjanes Peninsula that hasn’t been energetic for 800 years. Once a volcanic rift zone is activated, it’s commonplace for a fast succession of eruptions to happen.

Wednesday’s eruption was preceded by a collection of earthquakes within the space in latest days, the meteorological workplace mentioned.