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The Icelandic newspaper Visir reports.
The eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula, near Reykjavik, has long been expected but has now begun, the country’s meteorological institute claims.
The Coast Guard sent a helicopter to the Fagradalsfjall volcano, which is now erupting.
All air traffic to and from Keflavik airport is closed, says the Meteorological Institute.
Volcanic eruption fears after 17,000 earthquakes
Scientists on the way
– Civil defense encourages people not to approach the outbreak. It is important to keep the area safe. Investigators are now working to assess the situation, the Icelandic Ministry of Emergency Management writes on Twitter.
THE FIRST PHOTO: The Icelandic Meteorological Office has released this image of the volcanic eruption taken from a Coast Guard helicopter. They claim that the southern end of the lava is 2.6 kilometers from Sudurstrandarvegur. The crack where the eruption is taking place is about 200 meters long. Photo: Meteorological Office
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A Coast Guard helicopter with two investigators on board is on its way to do an inspection, Morgunbladid writes.
– All the main roads in the area have been closed so that people do not get too close. It is important for people to remain calm for the first few hours to see how it develops further, says Davíð Már Bjarnason in the rescue service to the newspaper.
Fagradalsfjall is not far from the Blue Lagoon. It was expected in advance that if an eruption did occur, it would occur in a seismic fissure between Fagradalsfjall and Keilir Mountain. This is a moon-like landscape and it is an uninhabited area. Therefore, an outbreak is not considered a threat to people’s lives, NTB writes.
THE FOUNTAIN: The map shows the source of the volcanic eruption at Geldingadalur near Fagradalsfjall, reports the Icelandic Meteorological Office on Twitter. Photo: Meteorological Office
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A series of earthquakes
It will likely be a limited lava eruption with relatively little ash, geophysicist Páll Einarsson of the University of Iceland told AFP earlier this month.
OUTBREAK: There are outbreaks in Iceland. Photo: Sigurdur Gretar Sigurdsson
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The two mountains in the eruption are located in the Krýsuvík area, a place where there have been no eruptions since the 12th century. The last eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula was in 1240.
In recent weeks, Iceland has been on hold after a series of earthquakes struck the area, linked to rising underground magma streams. There are thousands of small earthquakes in a few weeks, according to the Meteorological Institute.
Iceland has 32 volcanic systems that are considered active. On average, the country has an outbreak every five years.
