Iceland volcano erupts after weeks of earthquakes

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - A new volcanic eruption roared to life Monday evening in southwest Iceland near the coastal town of Grindavik. The eruption follows over a month of very high earthquake activity that damaged the town and resulted in its evacuation early in November. This new eruption bursting out of the ground just about 2 miles northeast of Grindavik, roughly 20 miles southwest of the capital city of Reykjavik.

The eruption began just after 10pm in Iceland, or a little after 4pm Monday afternoon in Omaha. This followed a swarm of earthquakes that had begun an hour earlier. The eruption caught on a live webcam, quickly grew in size and strength with multiple fissures, or cracks, spreading across the landscape. The Icelandic Meteorological Office estimates the fissures stretched over 2.5 miles at one point, with lava pouring out of most of the length of those fissures.

Lava quickly covered the area, pouring out of the new eruption at a very quick rate. However, the eruption quickly began to calm a bit overnight as the initial explosion helped to ease the pressure that had been building up over the past few months. Lava has been spreading to the north and south of the eruptive fissures, but so far is showing no signs of flowing toward Grindavik, or the Blue Lagoon resort. The town and the Blue Lagoon remain evacuated as a precaution, as it is not known where the lava will eventually flow.

Geologists warn that new cracks, or fissures, can open with little to know warning resulting in new fountains of lava. It is possible that one of these cracks could even open up within the town of Grindavik, so officials continue to warn everyone to stay away from the area.

Since the eruption began, the ground in the area has shown signs of deflation, or sinking, indicating that the magma chamber under the ground was beginning to empty. While a good sign, it’s not clear how long the eruption may last. The active part of the eruption has shrunk to about a third the size of the initial explosion, with a reduced flow of lava for the moment. You can see the town of Grindavik on the right edge of a photo posted by the President of Iceland with the fresh eruption in the foreground.

This is the fourth eruption in the last three years in southwest Iceland, though the first eruption this century of the Reykjanes volcano. The pattern of unrest has closely followed the same pattern as the previous eruptions of the nearby volcano Fagradalsfjall in 2021, 2022, and earlier this year.

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