COPENHAGEN: Shortly after an eight-week-long eruption on the same Reykjanes peninsula ended, a volcano in southwest Iceland erupted five times since December, sending burning hot lava 50 meters into the air on Wednesday.
As research revealed magma pooled underneath, authorities had issued a warning about the possibility of increased volcanic activity in the region immediately south of the city, Reykjavik.
According to a statement from Iceland's Met Office, "the lava fountains reach 50 meters (164 feet) high and the length of the fissure seems to be around 2.5 km and growing."
According to the airport's website, flights at Keflavik Airport in Reykjavik operated as normal.
Scientists have warned that Reykjanes may see recurring eruptions for decades or perhaps millennia, which highlights the difficulties faced by the island country of over 400,000 inhabitants.
The 30,000-person peninsula has had eight eruptions since 2021 as a result of the reactivation of geological systems that had been quiescent for 800 years.
After an evacuation in late 2023, only a small number of people of the fishing town of Grindavik have returned due to the disruption of district heating, closure of important highways, and destruction of many dwellings caused by the volcanic activity.
Authorities once more ordered the evacuation of Grindavik, and police reported that Iceland's civil defense was placed on high alert.
Known for its expansive outdoor pools, the adjacent Blue Lagoon geothermal spa was closed and its patrons were evacuated.
Man-made barriers have been erected to direct lava away from infrastructure, such as the Svartsengi geothermal power plant, the Blue Lagoon resort, and Grindavik, in order to stop more damage.
Because of its surreal environment of mountain peaks, ice fields, and fjords—a seismic hotspot situated between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates—Indonesians refer to their country as the "Land of Fire and Ice."
