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full screen A massive cloud of smoke rises into the sky from the volcanic eruption. Photo: Marco Di Marco/AP/TT
The volcanic eruption in Iceland is stronger than the last eruption in March. Seismologist Björn Lund says that the amount of magma can have major consequences.
– There is a risk of lava flow down towards Grindavík and the power plant in Svartsengi.
Residents of the coastal town of Grindavík are once again forced to evacuate their homes due to a volcanic eruption. The last time was in March, but this time the outbreak is expected to be more extensive.
Volcano expert Björn Lund, who is a seismologist at Uppsala University, says that reports and estimates show that more magma has accumulated than last time.
– It has been estimated that it is approximately 20 million cubic meters of magma that has entered. Often it erupts when it reaches 10 million, so it has been accumulating for a longer period of time which means it could become stronger and longer lasting.
Shut down electricity production
Depending on where the lava flow goes, roads may become impassable and fires may occur, while there may be interruptions in the electricity supply if the lava reaches the power plant in Svartsengi. According to Björn Lund, the next few hours will be an indication of where things are going.
– It may happen that they have to shut down the electricity production in order not to risk the poles falling over when there is voltage in them. They have tried to protect the hot water pipes and buried them under rock and gravel to get as protective a layer as possible, so I hope it will be fine even if the lava flows over.
“Intensive first days”
The volcano at Grindavík has erupted every month between December last year and March this year. Since Icelandic authorities saw seismic activity a couple of hours before the eruption, they were able to evacuate in good time. At the nearby tourist attraction Blå lagunen, around 700-800 visitors and employees have been evacuated.
How long the outbreak will last is difficult to say.
– The most likely thing is that it will be the most intense here in the first few days. The fact that so much magma has accumulated this time is a factor of uncertainty in terms of both intensity and how long it will last, says Björn Lund.