Iceland volcano flares marking region's 7th eruption in one year

A volcano connected the Reykjanes peninsula successful Iceland flared again precocious Wednesday night, marking the region's seventh eruption successful conscionable 1 year. 

Lava burst from a ace successful the crushed earlier midnight section time, originating successful a spot wherever determination has been a resurgence of volcanic activity. It happened rapidly and sent a molten watercourse traveling toward the Blue Lagoon, Iceland's astir celebrated tourer attraction. It's a geothermal spa acceptable successful a lava tract conscionable extracurricular the municipality of Grindavík that draws astir a cardinal visitors each year.

Tourists were evacuated from the Blue Lagoon, Iceland's nationalist broadcaster RÚV reported. Some tin beryllium seen venturing startlingly adjacent to the magma, successful an evident effort to seizure the eruption connected their phones, successful a video published by the broadcaster. Response crews ushered them to information earlier the magma roiled farther implicit the area, covering a conception of the parking batch adjacent to the Blue Lagoon arsenic good arsenic a captious pipeline that funnels blistery h2o from a geothermal powerfulness station, called Svartsengi, into the spa and astir the peninsula.

Striking aerial footage of the concern besides published by RÚV showed the expanse of the eruption. Fiery magma blankets the crushed successful the video, and heavy fume rises from it into the air.

People were evacuated from astir 50 homes Wednesday successful Grindavík, a tiny sportfishing municipality connected Iceland's confederate peninsula, according to the country's Civil Protection Agency. The bureau said it was unclear precisely which volcano was erupting, but noted the lava came from the aforesaid country experiencing volcanic activity. Grindavík is immoderate 30 miles southbound of Reykjavík, Iceland's superior city. Icelandic officials person not reported issues successful the superior caused by the eruption.

This photograph provided by Civil Protection successful Iceland shows a caller volcanic eruption that started connected the Reykjanes Peninsula successful Iceland arsenic seen connected Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. Civil Protection successful Iceland via AP

Officials said Thursday that volcanic enactment was ongoing, with seismic monitors indicating the magma had dispersed implicit astatine slightest 7 quadrate kilometers of land, somewhat little than 4 1/2 quadrate miles. The Njarðvík pipeline could inactive relation Thursday beneath the magma, said the Icelandic Meteorological Office. Magma had crossed the roadworthy into Grindavík erstwhile the bureau shared its astir caller update, but the eruption's highest had seemingly passed by past and the fissure from which it originated had shortened, according to measurements taken by the National Police Commissioner's peculiar forces unit. 

Earthquakes successful the country caused the crushed to divided and triggered the volcano, the bureau said. Iceland is situated connected apical of a rift betwixt 2 tectonic plates, which makes the land federation susceptible to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, which person rocked portions of the state and displaced residents successful caller years.

A caller volcanic eruption that started connected the Reykjanes Peninsula successful Iceland arsenic seen connected Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. Marco di Marco / AP

It was the seventh clip Iceland's Reykjanes peninsula experienced a volcanic eruption since December 2023, with aggregate erstwhile flares breaking retired implicit the summer. Officials said the latest eruption was little terrible than the past one, which happened successful August and resulted successful aggregate crushed fissures arsenic good arsenic a consequent 4.1-magnitude earthquake. The August incidental came conscionable 2 months aft an eruption continued spewing lava for much than 3 weeks. 

At the time, a determination constabulary main told Icelandic media that astir of Grindavík's 4,000 residents had evacuated from their homes the anterior November erstwhile the spell of volcanic enactment started to footwear up. While immoderate had returned part-time to the town, fewer were comfy staying overnight, the constabulary main said. Those who had returned were successfully evacuated.

Before the Mount Fagradalsfjall eruption successful March 2021, the Reykjanes peninsula had not seen volcanic enactment in astir 800 years. Since then, seismologists person cautiously observed the reawakening of a long-dormant responsibility enactment moving nether the landscape.

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• Iceland