By I. Hansana, Jadetimes News
In southwestern Iceland, a volcano has erupted for the fifth time since December, compelling nearly 4,000 residents of a nearby fishing town to evacuate. The Sundhnukur volcanic crater, dormant for 800 years, has been described by the Icelandic Meteorological Office as producing the most powerful eruption in the area since volcanic systems on the Reykjanes peninsula became active three years ago.
The eruption, which began on Wednesday, displayed dramatic volcanic activity before calming significantly by late Thursday. However, authorities remained on high alert on Friday for potential further eruptions. The initial outburst sent unprecedented levels of lava into the vicinity. According to volcanologist Dave McGarvie of Lancaster University, the volume of lava spewing from the crater was sufficient to cover the football pitch at London’s Wembley Stadium rapidly.
“These jets of magma are reaching up to 50 meters (165 feet) into the air,” McGarvie noted, indicating the eruption’s intensity. A fissure has also formed, extending at least 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles) in length. Rikke Pedersen, a specialist at the Nordic Volcanological Centre at the University of Iceland, explained that the eruption began as a "continuous curtain of fire" and would eventually concentrate into specific points, possibly forming one or two active craters over time.
The volcanic activity has endangered Grindavik, a coastal town of 3,800 residents, and prompted the evacuation of the popular Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, a major tourist destination. Grindavik had already been under threat since November, when earthquakes prompted evacuations prior to the initial eruption on December 18, which subsequently destroyed several buildings. Protective barriers outside the town managed to deflect the lava flow, though the town remained without electricity, and two of the three access roads were blocked by molten rock.
Grindavik Mayor Fannar Jonasson expressed cautious optimism on Thursday, stating the situation had improved compared to the eruption's onset. McGarvie attributed the eruption's intensity to a substantial accumulation of magma in an underground chamber before it broke through the earth's surface. Researchers observed a pattern of a vigorous initial eruption followed by a rapid decline in activity, but the duration of these eruptions remains uncertain.
The current cycle of eruptions has not affected aviation, with the nearby international airport remaining operational. Iceland, positioned above a volcanic hotspot in the North Atlantic, experiences frequent eruptions. The most disruptive in recent history was the 2010 Eyjafjallajokull eruption, which generated vast ash clouds and led to extensive airspace closures across Europe.