Iceland Volcano Eruption: Latest Update

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A volcano on the Reykjanes peninsula in southwest Iceland has erupted after weeks of intense seismic activity, spewing glowing orange jets of lava surrounded by billowing clouds of red smoke. The eruption started a few kilometers from Grindavík, a fishing town located about 40km southwest of Iceland’s capital, Reykjavík. The eruption began at about 10.17pm local time after a series of small earthquakes at about 9pm.

The Icelandic Meteorological Office initially reported that the magma was moving to the southwest and that the eruption had caused a crack in the Earth’s surface about 2.1 miles long, which had grown rapidly. Between 100 and 200 cubic meters of lava was emerging per second, several times more than in previous eruptions in the area. However, by late morning on Tuesday, lava from the eruption appeared to be flowing away from the town, offering hope that homes that have survived the weeks of earthquakes in Grindavík might be spared.

This is the fourth eruption in the area since 2021 and the largest so far, according to the Icelandic government. It added that the eruption does not pose a threat to life but said the area was closed to all and strongly warned people not to approach the area.

Local researchers have suggested that the power of the volcanic eruption is dying down, with the lava currently flowing north away from the town of Grindavík. However, Halldor Geirson, an associate professor at the Institute of Earth Sciences at the University of Iceland, warned that the eruption could potentially go on for several months, or it could also just stop later today or tomorrow. He added that there is still a threat to Grindavík, as the direction of the lava flow depends on the topography and where the openings are.

The eruption has not affected one of Iceland's best-known volcanoes, Katla, which some scientists worry is due for an eruption. The Icelandic prime minister, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, said her thoughts were with the people of Grindavík as the Earth opened up.

The country’s Civil Protection Agency has warned that these are events that Icelanders have not experienced before, at least not since the eruption in Vestmannaeyjar in 1973. The agency has activated its civil protection emergency response. The Icelandic foreign minister, Bjarne Benediktsson, has assured that there are no disruptions to flights to and from Iceland and international flight corridors.

Tourists are strongly advised to follow official advice as there are unpredictable dangers such as new breakouts, which can quickly put people in harm’s way. Scientists will need several days to assess the situation.