On March 17, lava from an Icelandic volcanic eruption approached the defenses surrounding the town of Grindavik. Fortunately, these defenses have successfully prevented the molten rock from reaching the evacuated community thus far.
Scientists have indicated that the eruption seems to be losing strength and is likely to subside within a matter of hours. This volcanic event occurred on the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland’s southwest on March 16, marking the fourth eruption in three months. It sent vivid orange streams of lava shooting into the night sky.
According to Iceland’s Meteorological Office, the eruption has created a fissure approximately 3 kilometers in length between the mountains of Stóra-Skógfell and Hagafell. As of March 17, lava is flowing towards the south and southeast at a rate of about 1 kilometer per hour, with the potential to reach the ocean. Defensive barriers have been erected to prevent it from inundating the main road along the southern coast of the peninsula.
Following the eruption’s onset, hundreds of individuals were evacuated from the Blue Lagoon thermal spa, a prominent tourist attraction in Iceland, as reported by national broadcaster RUV. Despite this, there have been no reports of flight disruptions at nearby Keflavik, which serves as Iceland’s primary airport.
Volcanic hot spot
The eruption site lies a few kilometers northeast of Grindavik, a coastal town with a population of 3,800, situated approximately 50 km southwest of Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik.
Grindavik was evacuated prior to the initial eruption on December 18. A subsequent eruption that commenced on January 14 directed lava towards the town. Although defensive walls, reinforced after the first eruption, managed to impede some of the flow, several buildings succumbed to the advancing lava.
Both eruptions lasted only a brief period. However, a third eruption commenced on February 8, ending within hours but not before a stream of lava engulfed a pipeline, disrupting heat and hot water supplies to thousands of individuals.
Iceland, situated above a volcanic hot spot in the North Atlantic, frequently experiences eruptions and possesses considerable expertise in managing them. One of the most notable eruptions in recent memory occurred in 2010 at the Eyjafjallajokull volcano. This event ejected massive clouds of ash into the atmosphere, resulting in extensive airspace closures across Europe.
The recent eruptions mark the resurgence of the Svartsengi volcanic system after nearly 800 years of dormancy. The duration of this period of activity remains uncertain, as does its significance for the densely populated Reykjanes Peninsula, one of Iceland’s most inhabited regions.
While there have been no confirmed fatalities resulting from the recent eruptions, a worker was reported missing after falling into a fissure created by the volcano.
