A new volcanic eruption at the gates of Grindavík, in Iceland, confirms one of the worst scenarios predicted by geologists since this city was evacuated on November 10.
During the first hours of the activity, a large fissure four kilometers long has formed, a line of magma well visible from the capital, which is about forty kilometers away. Geophysicist Björn Oddson has confirmed to Icelandic national television RÚV that, at the moment, the flow is not heading towards Grindavík, although it is about three kilometers from this urban center.
The authorities have declared a state of emergency, and the main unknown is knowing how the eruption will behave in the coming hours or days, since the fissure could open at other points or produce a central exit point, as has happened in the eruptions. occurred on the Reykjanes Peninsula in recent years.
In fact, this is the fourth time that there has been volcanic activity in this region of the island since March 2021. As it is a non-central volcanic system, on each of these occasions the magma has reached the surface in different places.
The Keflavík international airport, located about twenty kilometers from Grindavík, continued normal operations yesterday, although Isavia, responsible for air navigation in the country, warns passengers of the eruption and invites them to consult sources of information. official in case there is any change in the situation.
The fact that the eruption began above sea level is good news for aviation, since, at the moment, the volcano is not producing much volume of ash and the wind is not moving it towards the airport.
If the lava reaches the Atlantic, the scenario could change significantly, but, with current information, nothing seems to indicate that this episode could lead to a situation similar to that of 2010, when the Eyjafjallajökull volcano stopped air traffic for good. part of Europe for a few days.
Last night, hundreds of curious people moved towards highway number 41, which connects Keflavík airport with Reykjavík, to observe an impressive natural spectacle.
From one of the busiest roads in the country, the lava fountains formed on the Sundhnúk Plain and east of Mount Hágafell were clearly visible; This has been the beginning of an eruption with the greatest volume of magma since the Reykjanes Peninsula presented volcanic activity after almost eight centuries without producing any eruption.
In the neighborhoods on the southern coast of the capital, residents also gathered to photograph a large source of red light that filled the sky with infernal tints. The volume of magma during the first moments of the eruption exceeded one hundred cubic meters per second, a figure much higher than the activity of recent years.
This is the second volcanic eruption in Reykjanes this 2023, after the ground opened at Litli Hrútur on July 10. The latest information suggests that neither the Svartsengi geothermal power plant nor any main roads are in immediate danger.
