Iceland’s Volcano Could Erupt Within Hours

Experts have warned Iceland that its volcano could erupt within hours or days. Around 3,000 residents have evacuated the southwestern town of Grindavik close to the Fagradalsfjall volcanic system in the Reykjanes region.

Over the past 48 hours, Iceland has faced a seismic swarm as 1,485 earthquakes have hit the country. In addition, a magma tunnel is forming underground beneath the town, which South Iceland’s Volcano and Natural Hazards group believe could be 12km long.

celand is one of the most active volcanic areas on the planet. Rather than having a central volcano, the Reykjanes Peninsula is dominated by a rift valley, with lava fields and cones.

The 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland caused widespread disruption to air travel between Europe and North America. The eruption produced an ash cloud that forced the cancelation of roughly 100,000 flights. The aviation industry lost an estimated $2.6 billion.
The eruption stranded millions of tourists worldwide. The eruption caused widespread disruption to air travel between Europe and North America.

The area broadly known as Fagradalsfjall, has erupted three times since 2021 and is predicted to continue to blow with some frequency based on latest measures.

Of Iceland’s 32 active volcanoes, none is watched more closely than Katla. One of the nation’s largest and most feared, Katla lies under glacial ice hundreds of meters (yards) thick, meaning that any eruption is likely to melt the ice and cause widespread flooding.

3 thoughts on “Iceland’s Volcano Could Erupt Within Hours”

  1. This is unclear. Is there a high level of risk of air travel-reducing ash over days or weeks with this particular cone? This is the issue. Iceland has one of the most robust monitoring and evacuation plans for volcanoes in the world – they’re safe. Particles suspended between 5000 and 50000 ft elev from Newfoundland to NYC to Morocco to Norway for more than a week would be economically disastrous.

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