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A dormant volcano in southwest Iceland has come back to life, following thousands of small earthquakes in recent weeks.
The Fagradals Mountain volcano is located on the Reykjanes Peninsula, where none of the volcanoes had erupted for nearly 800 years.
A 500m to 750m fissure opened at the site Friday night, with lava fountains up to 100m high.
The eruption lit up the night sky. Image: Hildur Hlín Jónsdóttir / AP
Lava spilled down two sides of the volcano and its glow could be seen from outside Iceland’s capital Reykjavik, which is about 20 miles away.
Over the past four weeks, the area has had more than 40,000 earthquakes, many more than the 1,000 to 3,000 recorded each year since 2014.
The Civil Protection Department of the National Police Commission said the volcanic gas pollution is expected to spread to Thorlakshofn, a city on Iceland’s south coast, and continue into the evening.
He said residents should close windows and stay inside their homes.
Rannveig Gudmundsdottir, who lives in the town of Grindavik, five miles from the eruption, said: “I can see the bright red sky from my window.
“Everyone here is getting in their cars to drive there.”
Sara Barsotti, volcanic hazards coordinator at the Icelandic Meteorological Office, said the eruption does not pose an immediate danger to people in the area or critical infrastructure, adding: “I think we can’t expect anything better than that.
IMO sent a helicopter with scientists to observe the eruption.
The country’s airport operator Isavia said airlines should decide how to proceed based on the ash cloud forecast.
In 2010, the Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupted, disrupting approximately 900,000 flights and forcing hundreds of Icelanders from their homes.
However, this eruption is not expected to spew as much ash or smoke into the atmosphere, the IMO said.
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