A new volcanic eruption in Iceland began tonight on the outskirts of the city of Grindavík, confirming one of the worst scenarios predicted by geologists since the municipality 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 this time 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 that have 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 at points different.
The international airport of Keflavík, located about twenty kilometers from Grindavík, continues operations normally this morning, although Isavia, responsible for air navigation in the country, warns passengers of the eruption and invites them to consult sources. of official information at all times. 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 knocking it down on the airport. If the lava reaches the sea, the scenario could change significantly, but, with current information, nothing seems to indicate that the situation could lead to a scenario similar to that of 2010, when the Eyjafjallajökull volcano largely stopped air traffic. from 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 in the Sundhnúk plain and to the east of Mount Hagfell were clearly visible, which was the beginning of the eruption with the largest volume of magma since the Reykjanes peninsula was active. volcanic after almost eight centuries without producing any eruption. In the neighborhoods on the southern coast of the capital, a group of neighbors also gathered to photograph a large source of red light that fills the horizon. 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 land opened to Litli Hrútur on July 10. The latest information suggests that neither the Svartsengi geothermal power plant nor any main roads are in immediate danger.