The Icelandic Meteorological Office reported that a volcano erupted late last night in the southwest of the country, spewing lava and smoke over a wide area after violent seismic activity for weeks, threatening a nearby town. Fearing a major volcanic eruption in the Reykjanes Peninsula, authorities evacuated nearly 4,000 residents from the fishing town of Grindavik last month and closed the nearby Blue Lagoon geothermal resort.
The meteorological office stated on its website, "Warning: The eruption has started north of Grindavik near Hágavítl." It noted that the eruption began just a few kilometers from the town, with cracks in the ground extending towards the village located about 40 kilometers southwest of the Icelandic capital Reykjavik.
Keflavik International Airport, located near Reykjavik, remained open, although it experienced delays in several arriving and departing flights. Live footage of the eruption broadcast by Reuters and other media showed molten rock spectacularly shooting from the cracks in the ground, with vibrant yellow and orange colors contrasting sharply against the dark night sky.
The meteorological office indicated that seismic activity and measurements from GPS devices suggest that the molten volcanic rock is moving towards the southwest and that the eruption may continue in the direction of Grindavik. It added that the length of the fissure in the ground is about 3.5 kilometers and is rapidly increasing.
The meteorological office further reported that the volcano is ejecting approximately 100 to 200 cubic meters of lava per second, which is several times greater than previous eruptions in the region. Local police have raised the alert level due to the volcanic eruption, and Iceland's civil defense has warned citizens to stay away from the area while emergency personnel assess the situation.
Iceland is located between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates, which are among the largest tectonic plates on Earth. It is an active seismic and volcanic hotspot where the plates move in opposite directions.
