~6 0~p>The evacuation of the population has begun.
In the south of Iceland declared a state of emergency due to another volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula – this is the fourth one since December 2023.
BBC writes about this.
Lava has reached the eastern line of defense around the evacuated city of Grindovik. At the same time, the lava has not yet reached the main international airport, located northwest of Grindavik.
The current eruption has become the most powerful in recent times. Video from the scene shows plumes of smoke and bright magma oozing and bubbling from holes in the ground. Lava may spill into the sea, but this may not happen if volcanic activity decreases.
Oh wow! Incredible video of the eruption this evening in #Iceland
Kristinn Gauti Gunnarsson pic.twitter.com/9V7AS5xnmA
— Volcaholic (@volcaholic1) March 17, 2024
IMO experts counted about 80 earthquakes there, writes the Associated Press. The length of the rift is estimated to be about three kilometers, which corresponds to the size of the last eruption in February, when all residents were evacuated from a settlement where about 4 thousand people live.
Reykjanes is a volcanic and seismic hotspot southwest of the capital city of Reykjavik. In March 2021, lava fountains erupted from a 500-750 meter long fissure in the ground of the Fagradalsfjall volcanic system.
Iceland has 33 active volcanic systems, the largest number in Europe.
The eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula was the seventh since 2021. Scientists suggest that the area is entering a new volcanic era lasting from tens to hundreds of years.
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