A state of emergency has been declared in Iceland as volcanic activity ramps up on the island's peninsula. The eruption could be days away. A magma dike is believed to have formed below the small city of Grindavik. Ruptures are visible now in the region, and residents were evacuated in the middle of the night.
Fagradalsfjall volcano had its first eruption in over 800 years in July; a significant one is expected soon. Based on tweets shared this morning, it appears to be happening now, to my untrained eye.
The earthquake swarms are near Sundhnjukagigar.
There is also Mount Dukono in Indonesia, which is erupting simultaneously.
The below update was posted yesterday.
- A magma corridor lies under the town of Grindavík
- A fissure could open anywhere in that magma corridor
- The town has been evacuated. The evacuation was announced at midnight
- Civil Defence declared a Level of Danger
- Emergency responders were called out of Grindavík around 4am
- Residents who left Grindavík yesterday are asked to call the Red Cross on phone 1717 and register their departure
- A natural disaster expert makes it clear that this is a very large event
There are brilliant scientists on this site, and I suspect some will discuss the worrying possibility of a volcanic eruption in Iceland and cover the event as it unfolds.
From reporting by the Guardian:
At about 5.30pm GMT, two strong earthquakes were felt as far as the capital, Reykjavik, 40km away, and along much of the country’s southern coast, causing windows and household objects to shake.
The biggest tremor, north of Grindavik, had a magnitude of 5.2, according to preliminary IMO figures.
Police closed a road running north-south to Grindavik on Friday after it was damaged by the earthquakes.
Since late October, 24,000 tremors have been registered on the peninsula, according to the IMO, with “a dense swarm” of nearly 800 quakes registered between midnight and 2pm GMT on Friday.
The IMO noted an accumulation of magma underground at a depth of about 3.1 miles (5km). Should it start moving towards the surface it could lead to a volcanic eruption.
“The most likely scenario is that it will take several days rather than hours for magma to reach the surface,” it said. “If a fissure were to appear where the seismic activity is at its highest now, lava would flow to the south-east and to the west, but not towards Grindavik.”
Any eruption will likely impact the tourist hotspot, The Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa.