A helicopter crew observed lava emerging Wednesday morning following a volcano eruption near Grindavik on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwest Iceland. Photo By EPA/Icelandic Civil Protection
A volcano once dormant in southwest Iceland erupted Wednesday for the 12th time in four years as nearby resort towns were evacuated as a safety precaution.
The Sundhnukur volcano in the Reykjanes Peninsula on the west southern tip of Iceland spewed smoke and volcanic lava into the air in the latest set of activity after centuries of silence until 2021.
Tourists, families, hotel guests and the public have been evacuated to safety as a precaution in Grindavík, the nearby Blue Lagoon resort and other local areas. However, despite this, no flight disruptions were reported at nearby Keflavík airport.
Liquid hot magma reportedly created a fissure in the Earth’s crust around 2,296 feet and 3,280 feet long after an “intense earthquake swarm” was initially detected in the morning hours, according to Iceland’s meteorological office.
It said GPS and deformation data suggested it was a minor eruption by comparison, lava flows appeared concentrated and did “not threaten any infrastructure at this time.”
Officials said a smaller fissure also opened west of Fagradalsfjall, estimated to be roughly 1,640 feet long.
High levels of gas pollution were reported by authorities in the municipality of Reykjanesbær after wind carried it but later decreased in toxicity.
Since 2020, the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern Iceland has produced multiple volcanic eruptions and was active all last year in January through to November after earthquakes activated systems.
The town of Grindavík once housed around 4,000 Icelanders but was evacuated late last year and has reportedly largely remained a ghost town over safety due to ongoing volcanic risk as Icelandic authorities warned tourists to stay away from the area.
Iceland’s Sundhnukur volcano was active as recently as early February and May of last year.
