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A coast guard photo shows the first image of the volcanic eruption on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula.
ICG
After several weeks of increased seismic activity on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula, a volcanic eruption has finally begun, not far from the island’s capital.
“The eruption was first seen on a webcam,” writes the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) in an update on Friday. “It was also confirmed in thermal satellite images.”
The photo above from the Icelandic Coast Guard showed lava coming out of a fissure and beginning to flow. The video images also show lava fountains gushing out of the fissure:
According to initial IMO information, the fissure is about 200 meters long and is 2.6 kilometers (1.6 miles) from Suðurstrandarvegur, a road that runs along the southern coast of the peninsula.
The bureau reported late Friday that the eruption had started near the small mountain of Fagradalsfjall.
“The site of the eruption is in a valley, about 4.7 km inland from the southern coast of the peninsula. The coastal city of Grindavík is the populated region (closest) to the site of the eruption, located approximately 10 km to the southwest ”.
The eruption is in the middle of the peninsula, connecting the capital of Reykjavik with Keflavik International Airport near its tip. The area is also close to the popular Blue Lagoon hot springs complex, although there are no indications yet that people or property are at risk.
Seismic activity in the region had been lower in the days leading up to the eruption and there are still no reports of ashfall.
The eruption still spurred local authorities to change the volcanic flight’s color code to red, indicating that an eruption is occurring.
“Additional national restrictions have been implemented, including the closure of Reykjanesbraut, the main road from the capital region to Reykjanesbær and Keflavík International Airport,” IMO writes.
Webcam images shared on social media appear to show a bright red night sky reflecting the eruption seen from Keflavik.
The gases emitted by the eruption and the possibility of rock particles explosively ejected from the fissure remain potential hazards.
Icelandic police are asking people to stay away from the eruption area for now.
Iceland is among the nations in the world with the highest levels of volcanic activity. Large eruptions were observed on the island in 2014 and 2010, when Eyjafjallajökull released large amounts of smoke and ash into the sky, causing major disruptions to air traffic.
However, this is believed to be the first time the Reykjanes volcanic region has erupted in nearly 800 years.
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