A new volcanic eruption began Thursday morning on the Reykjanes peninsula in Iceland (southwest), the third in the region since December 18. Television images show orange-red lava flows accompanied by a cloud of smoke rising from a fissure in the Icelandic night.
“At 05:30 (GMT) this morning, a small earthquake began to intensify northeast of Sýlingarfell. About 30 minutes later, an eruption began in the same area,” wrote the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO ).
“According to initial reports from the coast guard surveillance flight, the eruption took place in the same area as that of December 18. The fissure is approximately three kilometers long,” adds the IMO.
Sixth volcanic eruption in Iceland in two years,
The institute predicted an imminent eruption in its latest report. This is the sixth volcanic eruption in Iceland in two years, the previous one having taken place in the early morning of January 14 near Grindavik, a small town of 4,000 inhabitants.
This town had been evacuated on November 11 as a precautionary measure. Thirty-two volcanic systems are considered active in this country of fire and ice, the most volcanic region in Europe.