Simon Mayer/Keystone
Iceland is experiencing its third volcanic eruption in two and a half years. The impressive landscape is not far from the capital Reykjavík and has been heralded with thousands of earthquakes.
No time? Blue news in a nutshell for you
- A volcano erupts again in Iceland: for the third time in two and a half years.
- Live footage of the sparsely populated area near the capital Reykjavík shows deep plumes of smoke. Lava has also come out.
- There is no danger to people. Spectator tourists are cautioned against trips to the eruption area.
It’s a habit for Icelanders when a volcano erupts near the capital, Reykjavík. It’s time again: an eruption has started in the northwest of the mountain Lidl-Hruður, the Icelandic Meteorological Authority Væðurstópa announced on its website on Monday.
On that day Live recordings From the sparsely populated Reykjanes Peninsula, dense smoke zones were visible in the evening, but no surface lava flows from the angle. However, photos taken by the agency showed red-hot lava pouring out of a long crack in the ground.
The explosion began around 4:40 a.m. (local time), Vedurstofa wrote on Facebook. In Switzerland, by that time it was already evening. The crack in the earth is thought to be about 200 meters long. Scientists are in the area to take measurements.
The volcano is 40 kilometers southwest of Reykjavík. The last volcanic eruptions in the region were in August 2022 and before that in March 2021, after they were heralded by numerous earthquakes. This time again the region has been hit by thousands of earthquakes in the last few days, most recently the current 5.2 magnitude earthquake on Sunday evening which is the most violent of the bunch.
No danger to public, warning to tourists
Authorities paired the news with a warning for those looking to head straight for the scenic spot: The hike to the blast site is long and the terrain challenging. Therefore, it is recommended to wait and follow the instructions of the Civil Defense.
Experts expected a new eruption due to the earthquake. In 2021 and 2022, the risk to the population is classified as low.
It is not clear how long the eruption will last. An eruption in 2021 caused the volcano to shoot fountains repeatedly for almost half a year, and the eruption in 2022 was less severe. The natural scenery attracted many volcanologists, but also hikers and tourists. In general, the eruptions did not cause great unrest among Icelanders.
dpa
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