Glowing lava is emerging from a fissure on the Reykjanes peninsula: A volcano has erupted again in Iceland not far from the port city of Grindavík. The residents have been brought to safety.
A volcano has erupted again on the Icelandic peninsula of Reykjanes following a series of earthquakes. Lava and smoke are emerging from a long crack. “An eruption has started at Sundhnuksgigaröd,” the Icelandic Meteorological Office IMO announced.
Such fissure eruptions have been occurring repeatedly on the peninsula since March 2021. It is still unclear to what extent the eruption poses a new threat to the port city of Grindavík, which has already been evacuated several times. As a precaution, the residents were brought to safety this time too, as the broadcaster RÚV reported, citing the fire department.
In January, lava destroyed several houses on the outskirts of Grindavík. The town is located about 40 kilometers southwest of Reykjavik. Two months ago, a volcanic eruption on Reykjanes that had lasted a good three weeks came to an end.
There are 33 active volcanic systems in Iceland. The country lies on the so-called Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a rise on the sea floor between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates.
