The country was shaken by 17,000 a week. Seismic shocks, fear of the imminence of a major disaster.

The worst earthquake, with a score of 5.6 on the Richter scale, occurred on the morning of February 24. It greatly scared the residents of the nearby capital Reykjavik and the surrounding areas. This part of the country is home to two-thirds of the population of Iceland. Two other major earthquakes occurred on February 27 and March 1. The magnitude of these earthquakes exceeded five points.

So far, the earthquakes haven’t done much damage. It is true that the Icelandic Highway and Coastal Administration has reported small cracks in the roads in these areas and rockfalls on steep slopes near the epicenter of the earthquakes.

“I’ve had to survive earthquakes before, but never in a row. It is very unusual to feel the earth shake 24 hours a day throughout the week. It feels like you are very small and defenseless compared to nature, “Reykjavik resident Authur Alfa Ólafsdottir told CNN.

The residents of the fishing village of Grindavik felt the full magnitude of the earthquakes. “I’ve never experienced anything like this before,” says Pallis Valur Björnsson, a member of parliament who teaches at a local fishing school.

“We are used to it, it all started a year ago. But now the tremors are much more severe and intense, which is very worrying. I am not afraid, but I still feel uncomfortable. Last night [dėl drebėjimo] nubudau twice. For the first time this only happened after lying down, the shaking was very severe. The second time the earthquake woke me up. It’s difficult, but you have to learn to live with it, ”said a Grindavik resident.

Iceland is at the collision point of tectonic plates. The tectonic plates of North America and Eurasia are constantly pushing against each other along the mid-Atlantic ridge. Usually seismic activity is recorded here only by sensitive scientific equipment. Still, the most severe tremors are an inevitable part of life in a seismically active region.

This time, however, the end of the earthquake does not seem to be seen.

Porvaldur Portharson, a professor of volcanology at the University of Iceland, says the concern over the recent surge in seismic activity is understandable.

“It just came to our knowledge then. This situation is quite unusual in this region; I am not talking about the nature or intensity of the earthquakes, but the duration. Now everything takes more than a week,” explains the professor.

“We are trying to find out why this is so. Why is this happening? It is very likely that he is there in [Žemės] the crust penetrated the magma. It’s definitely gotten close to the surface, but we’re trying to find out if it’s getting even closer, ”says the expert. There are several volcanoes in the region and local officials warn that their eruption may be imminent.

Elisabet Palmetutir, a natural hazards specialist with the Icelandic Meteorological Service, told CNN that the service is installing special surveillance equipment in the affected areas, from GPS and earthquake monitoring devices to video cameras and gas detectors.

Nor can a specialist remember another period in which so many earthquakes would occur in such a short time. She warns that an even more serious event could cause concern and predicts that the area could be shaken by a six-point earthquake or even stronger.

“In this particular area, where activity was recorded last week, we can expect an earthquake measuring six on the Richter scale. However, east of this place, east of Lake Kleivarvatno, the force can reach 6.5 points ”, no doubt E. Pálmadóttir.

In the event of a volcanic eruption, no city would be threatened by a lava flow. This can be addressed on the basis of the latest model developed by the Volcanology and Natural Hazards Group at the University of Iceland. On Wednesday, this group published maps of potential flows.

“Based on the current model, it can be concluded that no major city is in danger,” says volcanologist Ármann Höskuldsson. The specialist added that Keflavik International Airport, one of the most important direct connections that connects Iceland with the rest of the world, will not suffer either.