A volcano has erupted on the Reykjanes peninsula of south-west Iceland after weeks of intense earthquake activity.
Around 4,000 residents of the fishing town of Grindavik had to be evacuated earlier this month, and the well-known Blue Lagoon geothermal spa was closed. The eruption began north of the town at 22:17 local time, as reported by the Icelandic Met Office.
Fortunately, this eruption is not likely to cause the same level of disruption as the one in 2010, which halted European air travel. The region around Reykjavik, the capital, has been experiencing an increase in earthquake activity since late October. According to the Met Office, the eruption is situated around 4km (2.5 miles) northeast of Grindavik, and the seismic activity is moving towards the town.
Social media posts relayed images and videos of lava spewing from the volcano barely an hour following an earthquake swarm (a series of seismic events) that was detected. The eruption can be viewed from Reykjavik, which is situated approximately 42km northeast of Grindavik. An eyewitness informed the BBC that the eruption had resulted in half of the sky towards the town glowing red, with smoke billowing into the air.
Police have warned people not to approach the area. The length of the crack in the volcano is around 3.5km, with the lava flowing out at an approximate rate of 100 to 200 cubic metres per second, according to the Met Office. This is far greater than in previous eruptions on the Reykjanes peninsula in the recent past.
The Reykjanes peninsula of southwest Iceland has experienced an eruption following weeks of intense earthquake activity, prompting the evacuation of around 4,000 residents from Grindavik.
The eruption began north of the town at 22:17 local time and can be viewed from Reykjavik, located some 42km northeast of Grindavik. The Met Office has warned people not to approach the area, as the seismic activity continues moving closer to the town. The length of the crack in the volcano is approximately 3.5km, with the lava flowing at a rate of around 100 to 200 cubic metres per second, as the eruption is larger than previous eruptions in this region in recent years.