Iceland town evacuated as volcanic eruption becomes more likely
All roads near the possible eruption site shut down, Blue Lagoon closes its doors
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - The coastal town of Grindavik in Iceland was evacuated Friday night as fears of a new volcanic eruption increased significantly. Emergency officials urged the roughly 3,000 residents to leave as quickly as possible as volcanic unrest and earthquakes surged throughout Friday and Friday evening.
Scientists with the Icelandic Meteorological Office gave an update Saturday afternoon, saying there was a significant likelihood of a volcanic eruption in the coming days. A 15km or roughly 9 mile long hazard zone was identified where lava is currently accumulating beneath the ground which could result in a significant eruption of lava at any time. That hazard zone running from southwest to northeast through the town of Grindivik. With the high level of uncertainty regarding exactly where an eruption could start, all roads in and around the town have been closed.
A major earthquake swarm began to develop Thursday night and peak on Friday rattling the fishing village with thousands of earthquakes, the strongest maxing out at Magnitude 5.2. The quakes shaking homes and businesses, and causing roads in the area to buckle. At least 800 earthquakes have shaken the region southwest of the capital of Reykjavik just in the 12 hours since Midnight. In the map below you can see the earthquakes lining up along that roughly 9 mile hazard zone where an eruption could begin at any time.
In addition to the earthquakes, there has been significant ground uplift in the region. The uplift is caused by magma pooling under ground, and pushing the surface of the Earth upward. The ground in the area has risen by at least 8cm since the unrest began, or around 3 inches. While that doesn’t seem like a huge change, it actually represents a very large shift in the underlying magma chamber indicating a large plume of magma is pushing upward.
It is that pooling of magma beneath the surface that has geologists worried. The rate of ground uplift and the large swarm of earthquakes indicates that magma is accumulating at a rapid pace, and could result in a new eruption with little notice. Scientists with the Icelandic Met Office say that the amount of magma that has reached the area appears to be more significant than what occurred with the precious three eruptions in the region over the last few years.
While it’s difficult to know exactly where the lava would flow, chances are high it could move quickly toward the Blue Lagoon and eventually the town of Grindavik. There are some estimates that the lava could reach the resort within just a few minutes, and then move toward the geothermal plant associated with the lagoon. The Blue Lagoon closed its doors earlier in the week after the earthquakes prompted several visitors to flee.
An eruption has not yet started as of Saturday afternoon, however, an eventual eruptions appears very likely. In fact, the Icelandic Met Office says that “the likelihood of a volcanic eruption occurring in the near future is deemed considerable.” The pattern of unrest has closely followed the same pattern as the previous eruptions of a nearby volcano in 2021, 2022, and earlier this year.
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