On the 9th of February, the residents of Reykjanes woke up to a shock. They heard an eerie noise which only a few were oblivious to. For the third time in the past three months, the volcano on the southwestern peninsula of Reykjanes erupted. The scene was chaotic as lava could be seen oozing out profusely, up to 260 feet into the air. The sight of volcanic lava cascading along the Icelandic peninsula, caused dismay. This is the sixth time that an eruption has occurred since the year 2021.
The morning started with commotion when an earthquake hit the city at around 5:30 am followed by the outbreak of a volcanic eruption thirty minutes later. The meteorological department confirmed the news and also put a warning on their site, stating, “Warning: A volcanic eruption started north of Sylingarfell.” The meteorological office reported the volcanic fissure to be around 3 kilometres long. This eruption happened in the same location as the one that happened last December. Rescue operations came into full force as the residents were evacuated promptly.
Videos were released wherein bright orange-coloured molten rock could be seen oozing from the fissures in the ground. The geothermal spa, Blue Lagoon, was shut on Thursday due to this. The recurring behaviour of the eruption caused concern among the people and the meteorological department. Preceding this, the last eruption on the 14th of January lasted a couple of days. The lava flowed profusely and reached the outskirts of the fishing town named Grindavik. The evacuation activity was well-paced and managed efficiently. Around 4,000 people were rescued.
Geophysicist Ari Trausti stated that the eruption was not strong enough to cause devastation to the city. Adding on, he said, “But it could pose some threat to the road to Grindavik and it could pose some threat to the power plant and even to the Blue Lagoon”.
The Reykjanes outbreaks are so-called ‘fissure eruptions’ which are often referred to as Icelandic-type. They do not usually result in large explosions or significant ash production dispersed into the stratosphere. Climate activists confirmed that such an eruption does not cause any serious harm to the environment. The lava just deteriorated the landscape, along with devastating a few houses in the vicinity.
The local authorities raised the warning for anticipated eruptions as magma accumulation was active in the region. The meteorological department was on its toes, well-equipped with evacuation tools and actively issuing warnings. Iceland currently houses around 30 active volcanoes, which makes it Europe’s volcanic tourist spot. Tourists seeking thrill and adventure often find themselves in Iceland navigating through the volcanoes. However, there is another side to these volcanoes, which subjugates the region’s environmental and human life.
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