Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula has experienced its sixth volcanic eruption since December 2023, with lava gushing from new fissures as seismic activity continues, according to press reports on Friday (August 23).
In southwest Iceland, an eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula occurred on Thursday (8/22) night, following a series of earthquakes. The largest quake was recorded at magnitude 4.
The eruption began at 9:26 p.m. local time (04:26 GMT). Lava erupted from a fissure that was initially 1.4 kilometers (9.3 miles) wide but quickly expanded to 3.9 kilometers (2.4 miles) in 40 minutes, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO), as reported by the Guardian.
Despite the ongoing volcanic activity, flights to and from Iceland are operating normally, according to Isavia, the country’s national airport and air navigation services provider.
The Reykjanes Peninsula, home to nearly 8% of Iceland’s population, has been experiencing repeated volcanic activity since 2021 as a dormant geological system reactivates after 800 years. Scientists have warned that the region could experience continued eruptions for decades or even centuries.
To protect critical infrastructure, including the Svartsengi power plant and the Blue Lagoon spa, authorities have built barriers to divert lava flows.
Read also: Volcano Erupts Again on Icelandic Peninsula
However, the recent eruption is said to pose no immediate threat to the nearby fishing village of Grindavik, where most of its 4,000 residents were evacuated in November after a previous eruption.
Magnus Tumi Gudmundsson, a professor of geophysics at the University of Iceland, told the Guardian that the current eruption showed lower activity near Grindavik compared to previous events, providing some relief for residents.
But he stressed the need for continued monitoring as the situation evolves. The IMO has previously warned of the possibility of another eruption, citing signs of magma accumulating beneath Svartsengi, where a local power plant provides electricity and water to about 30,000 people on the peninsula.
The power plant was largely evacuated and operated remotely due to the ongoing volcanic threat. Iceland, which sits atop the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet, is home to 33 active volcanic systems, the most in Europe.
The current wave of eruptions on the Reykjanes Peninsula reaffirms the region’s ongoing geological instability, posing challenges for the island nation of nearly 400,000 people. (Ant/Z-2)
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