A volcanic eruption, the fourth in two years, began Monday evening in Iceland, in an area south of the capital Reykjavik, where seismic activity had been very intense since the beginning of November, the Icelandic Meteorological Institute (IMO) said. .
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A volcanic eruption, the fourth in three years, began Monday evening in Iceland, in an area where seismic activity had been very intense since the beginning of November, the Icelandic Meteorological Institute (IMO) said. “ An effusive eruption began a few kilometers northeast of Grindavík », shortly after 10:30 p.m. UT, announced the IMO in a press release, specifying that the aviation color code had changed to red. However, “ at the moment there are no disruptions to arrivals or departures at Keflavik Airport », Specified the operator of Icelandic airports ISAVIA on its website.
On November 11, the inhabitants of Grindavik, a picturesque village of 4,000 inhabitants, were evacuated as a precaution after hundreds of earthquakes caused by the movement of magma under the earth’s crust, the precursor to a volcanic eruption. Since then, they have only been allowed to visit their homes during certain time slots during the day.
“ An eruption began near the evacuated town of Grindavík. Our priorities remain the protection of lives and infrastructure. Civil protection closed the affected area. Now we wait to see what the forces of nature have in store for us. We are ready and remain vigilant “, Icelandic President Guoni Jóhannesson declared on the X network.
An eruption has begun near the evacuated town of Grindavík. Our priorities remain to protect lives and infrastructure. Civil Defense has closed off the affected area. We now wait to see what the forces of nature have in store. We are prepared and remain vigilant.
📷 @Vedurstofan pic.twitter.com/yKx4WKU61c— President of Iceland (@PresidentISL) December 19, 2023
Glowing orange lava
According to images from local media, whose cameras have been installed near the volcano for weeks, the incandescent orange lava gushes vigorously from a fissure which indeed seems quite long. “ It is not a tourist eruption and you have to observe it from a very far distance “, Vídir Reynisson, head of civil protection and emergency management in Iceland, told local public television RUV.
“ Our thoughts go […] to the local population [de Grindavík, NDLR]we hope for the best, but it is clear that this is a considerable blowout », Wrote the head of the Icelandic government, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, on Facebook.
The Reykjanes peninsula, south of the capital Reykjavik, had been spared from eruptions for eight centuries, until March 2021. Since then, there have been two others, in August 2022 and July 2023, a sign, for volcanologists, of a resumption of volcanic activity in the region.
Thirty-two volcanic systems are considered active in this country of fire and ice, the most volcanic region in Europe.
(With AFP)