As of Wednesday night, there was “nonetheless appreciable lava fountaining” on the principle a part of the fissure, which prolonged south of the Hagafell mountain, the Icelandic Meteorological Workplace stated.
Fuel air pollution might have an effect on Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, on Wednesday night time into Thursday, it added.
Grindavik is about 30 miles southwest of the capital. A lot of the city’s practically 4,000 residents had been evacuated earlier than the volcano’s first eruption in December. The realm can also be dwelling to one in every of Iceland’s largest vacationer attracts, the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa.
Grindavik, the Blue Lagoon and a close-by energy plant had been evacuated earlier than noon, according to Iceland’s nationwide broadcaster, RUV. The eruption started at 12:46 p.m. native time, in response to the meteorological workplace.
Limitations constructed to guard the city held, though there was “important harm” to native pipes and roads, Magnús Tumi Guðmundsson, a professor of geophysics on the College of Iceland, advised RUV. He stated it wasn’t shocking that the newest eruption was extra highly effective than earlier ones, as a result of extra magma had gathered.
Volcanic exercise isn’t uncommon in Iceland, however the eruptions over the previous few months have occurred in a zone on the Reykjanes Peninsula that hasn’t been energetic for 800 years. As soon as a volcanic rift zone is activated, it’s commonplace for a fast succession of eruptions to happen.
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Wednesday’s eruption was preceded by a collection of earthquakes within the space in latest days, the meteorological workplace stated.