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It was after several weeks with tens of thousands of earthquakes, Fagradalsfjall in southwest Iceland erupted on Friday night Swedish time.
The first signs that an eruption could be about to erupt came on February 24 when a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the area. The researchers interpreted this to mean that the lava was about to find its way up. Several of the earthquakes have been around 5, which is strong.
– Right now, the lava is accumulating in Geldingadali, which is a naturally trapped valley, it is positive. We also do not see ash formation and the gas cloud that has formed over the area is very small. Plus, it will rain during the day, further reducing the risk, says Björn Lund, a seismologist with the Department of Earth Sciences at Uppsala University.
The outbreak has not been like this big as Icelandic seismologists thought, says Björn Lund. What is happening now is difficult to predict:
– It can go in any direction. Either it calms down or it gets worse.
On Saturday, a bluish gas cloud was also seen over the area and projections of the gas distribution made by Icelandic meteorologists show that the cloud will pass over the capital Reykjavik.
Even if it doesn’t prevail Any danger to the public, the situation around the volcano itself can change rapidly. Geophysicist Freysteinn Sigmundsson warned Saturday that the main crater could collapse and then increase both lava and gas flow.
Authorities have also issued warnings to the public not to approach the area, as new cracks may open and lava may erupt.
It is the first time in about 800 years that a similar eruption has occurred in the area.
