In Iceland, the Fagradalsfjall volcano is once again shaking the earth and threatening to erupt in Grindavik, a town located 40 km southwest of the capital Reykjavik. The island declared a state of emergency after a one-meter-deep crevasse appeared over the weekend.
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For about twenty days, Iceland, thousands of tremors under the Reykjanes peninsula in Iceland, as well as swelling of the ground, raise fears of a volcanic eruption. In recent days, a magma-filled fissure rising toward the surface has been spotted in Grindavik. If the eruption takes place, it would likely be along this fracture which runs from the northwest to the southeast.
The inhabitants of the city of Grindavik described being evacuated in the early hours of Saturday, as the ground shook, roads cracked and buildings suffered structural damage. Almost all of the town’s 3,800 residents have been able to find shelter with family members or friends and only 50 to 70 people are housed in evacuation centers, a rescue official said.
Read alsoIceland: faced with fears of a volcanic eruption, the town of Grindavik was evacuated
“A situation of great uncertainty »
Jacques-Marie Bardintzeff, volcanologist and professor at Paris-Saclay University, interviewed by RFI, evokes a “ highly probable eruption » with three scenarios: « If it happens in the northeast, it will be like the previous eruptions that took place in the last three years and it doesn’t bother anyone because it’s uninhabited. he explains. The second scenario? “ If this happens in Grindavik, the town has fortunately been evacuated and the residents are safe, but there would be major material damage,” summarizes Mr. Bardintzeff. And finally : “ The third possibility would be a hydromagmatic eruption with ash projections and perhaps the formation of a small island. It also depends on how long the rash will last. », Explains the expert.
This peninsula had been inactive for 800 years. Since 2021, there have been three eruptions in three years that lasted a few weeks in an uninhabited region. If it takes place, it would therefore be the fourth on the Reykjanes peninsula, now accustomed to volcanic activity. This time, the magma seems to be moving faster.
With more magma at depth, which worries vulcanologists. “ We are in a situation of great uncertainty », In any case declared Matthew James Roberts, director of the services and research division of the Icelandic Meteorological Office.
Read alsoIceland: faced with fears of a volcanic eruption, the town of Grindavik was evacuated