“Activity on the Reykjanes Peninsula has entered a new phase.” With this euphemistic phrase, the Icelandic Met Office (Icelandic Meteorological Office, also in charge of geological monitoring) has announced the end, at least momentarily, of the volcanic eruption in the Litli-Hrútur area, on the Reykjanes peninsula, about 30 km southwest of Reykjavik.
The emanation of lava and gases that began on July 10 has remained active for just over four weeks but has decreased since the beginning of this month of August. The Icelandic authority recalls that despite the notable drop in activity, “the vicinity of the area of ??the eruption remains dangerous.”
“High temperatures characterize the lava field. The solidified crust can be very thin in places with very hot, molten lava below. The edges of the new lava field are unstable and large chunks of lava can fall suddenly,” says the Icelandic Met Office (IMO). In this new phase, “activity is low but there are fractures in the area that pose a danger; the new lava continues to degas and dangerous gases can accumulate in depressions.”
The start of this new calm phase was communicated in a first note issued by the IMO on August 8, which indicated that “at the end of last week the crater could be seen, feeding the eruption in Litli-Hrútur, shrinking and reducing its size. “At the same time, starting at midnight on August 4, the volcanic tremor began to steadily decrease as measured by many stations near the eruption site. At noon on August 5, the tremor detected at the station located in Hraunsel-Vatnsfell (HRV), right at the site of the eruption, further decreased to pre-eruption levels (see image below). No activity has been observed in the crater since then.” “The seismic activity in the area continues, but now it is much less intense compared to the beginning of the eruption. The last thermal anomaly detected by satellite (MODIS) was on August 6,” this official body indicated.
The eruption at Litli-Hrútur has allowed us to capture spectacular videos and images but, compared to previous volcanic activities in Iceland, it has been quite small and brief. Various Icelandic media, in this sense, have given thanks for such a restrained eruption, which has occurred in an unpopulated area with no threatened infrastructure. From this point of view, this year’s small Icelandic volcano has been a tourist attraction of international scope, recognized the local media.
Knowing the island’s volcanic history and complex subsoil, however, the IMO and volcanologists warn that the tranquility in Reykjanes, as in many other parts of the country, can only be considered a passing episode.
