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A volcanic eruption in Fagradalsfjall, near Iceland’s capital Reykjavik, dyed the sky red. There is no immediate danger to people, but all air traffic is suspended.
Here, the volcanic eruption can be seen slightly to the right of the center of the image, with lava flowing on either side. Photo: Icelandic Meteorological Institute via AP / NTB
A red glow marked the night sky over the site where the volcano erupted Friday night. Photo: Hildur Hlín Jónsdóttir via AP / NTB
The eruption began late Friday night and is located on the Reykjanes Peninsula, about 40 kilometers southwest of the capital.
The photos show a red cloud lighting up the night sky, visible from several kilometers away. Photos and video taken from a helicopter sent by the Coast Guard for an inspection show red lava erupting from a formation of cracks in the ground near Fagradalsfjall.
Iceland’s main airport, Keflavik, and the small fishing village of Grindavik are only a few kilometers away, and all flights to and from Keflavik have been canceled. However, the area where the volcanic eruption is taking place is uninhabited and the eruption is not expected to pose any danger.
Small rash
– The eruption started in Geldingadalur by Fagradalsfjall at 21:45 tonight. The eruption is considered small and the crack formation is around 500-700 meters long. The size of the lava covers less than 1 square meter, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Institute.
The institute describes the outbreak’s activity as small. Also, only very small defects have been measured in seismometers, the institute claims.
The Norwegian Armed Forces have F-35 jets stationed in Iceland, where they protect Icelandic airspace.
– For us, this is perceived as not very dramatic and we are fine. We comply with the guidelines issued by Icelandic authorities, Air Force spokesman Stian Roan told NTB on Saturday night.
Ask people to stay away
By Saturday night, there were no reports of ash spread, but gas emissions and findings of solidified magma fragments were expected to be recorded. People living east of the volcano were asked to keep their windows closed and stay indoors due to the risk of possible gas contamination.
Gas emissions, especially sulfur dioxide, can reach high levels in the immediate vicinity of a volcanic eruption and can pose a health hazard and even be fatal. Depending on the direction of the wind, the gas can also be transported further afield.
The eruption is in a valley located about 4.7 kilometers from the southern coast of the peninsula. Police and coast guards were dispatched to the scene and onlookers were asked to stay away. The main road between Keflavik and Reykjavik was temporarily closed.
– All the main roads in the area have been closed so that people do not get too close. It’s important for people to stay calm for the first few hours to see how it develops further, says Davíð Már Bjarnason at the Morgunbladid rescue service.
First time in 900 years
The volcanic eruption is near Fagradalsfjall and Keilir, two mountains located in the Krýsuvík area, a volcanic system without any central volcano and where there have been no eruptions since the 12th century. The last eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula was in 1240.
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.
50,000 earthquakes
Volcanic eruptions in this area are called effusive, that is, lava flows evenly from the ground, in contrast to explosive eruptions where volcanoes spew clouds of ash into the air.
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.
On February 24, a magnitude 5.7 earthquake was measured in the area. Since then, more than 50,000 small earthquakes have been recorded, the highest number since digital recordings began in 1991.
In the days leading up to Friday’s eruption, seismic activity had slowed.
In recent days, magma was measured 1 kilometer below the ground surface around Fagradalsfjall.
Iceland has 32 volcanic systems that are considered active. On average, the country has an outbreak every five years.
