A new volcanic eruption began Wednesday evening near the Icelandic town of Grindavík, spewing lava at an estimated rate of 100-200 cubic meters per second, the country’s meteorological office said.
The eruption comes after days of intensifying seismic activity and GPS measurements indicating underground magma shifting towards Grindavík – a town of approximately 3,000 residents on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula.
Local authorities have raised alert levels and cautioned people to avoid the area until emergency crews can fully assess the situation.
🚨 BREAKING: THE VOLCANO IN ICELAND JUST ERUPTED
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) December 18, 2023
Source: BEINT pic.twitter.com/8OBd30Wxod
Iceland is prone to volcanic activity as it sits between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates which constantly shift in opposite directions. Recent years have seen eruptions in uninhabited parts of the peninsula.
Happening now: Volcano erupts for the fourth time in less than three years on the Reykjanes peninsula near Iceland's capital, Reykjavik. This comes after the area recorded thousands of earthquakes over the past weeks. pic.twitter.com/TiW2SCGpQU
— Nahel Belgherze (@WxNB_) December 18, 2023
Just last month, Grindavík faced evacuations, road damage, and building cracks amid rising seismic activity. While an eruption was initially feared imminent, the geological unrest eased in subsequent weeks.
Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir expressed concern for residents but hoped that recently developed volcanic defenses would mitigate risks, according to the BBC.
With the plates’ divergent movements making eruptions difficult to predict, officials remain on high alert regarding the newest lava flows in the volatile region.
