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After weeks of numerous earthquakes in the Reykjanes peninsula, a volcano in southwest Iceland has erupted, releasing streams of lava from a fissure that stretches at least four kilometers.
On Monday, there was an eruption that sent lava and smoke up to 100 meters into the air. This happened after several weeks of strong earthquakes, which led to the evacuation of the entire fishing village of Grindavik.
On Tuesday, the Icelandic Met Office (IMO) reported that the fissure was still three kilometers away from Grindavik and that the volcanic activity was diminishing.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) cautioned that additional openings of vents are likely to occur as the flow of lava persists through Wednesday. The eruption at Sundhnúksgíga may result in new fissures forming both north and south of the initial one.
“Upon reviewing the events leading up to the eruption, it was found that there was a gap of approximately 90 minutes between the initial signs and the actual start of the eruption. As a result, the warning time for potential new openings at Sundhnúk could be brief,” stated the meteorological office.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) posted a map on its website displaying the most recent location of the fissure, which is almost four kilometers long and can be identified by the red mark. The fissure is located to the east of the Svartsengi geothermal plant and to the northeast of the fishing town Grindavik.
Bjarni Benediktsson, Iceland’s foreign minister, has expressed worries about the “critical” state of the Svartsengi power station, which is situated about 4km west of the volcano.
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The fissure line of the volcano in Iceland.
According to Mr. Benediktsson, a protective barrier has been constructed around the geothermal plant to shield it from the lava flows. However, there are still concerns about the safety of the infrastructure. In a statement, he emphasized the significance of the power plant for the residents of the peninsula.
He stated that the eruption was significantly larger than any that have occurred in the past three years.
The International Meteor Organization (IMO) has shared a distinct satellite picture displaying the recently formed fissure (marked in yellow) and streams of molten lava (highlighted in color) located east of the geothermal facility.
Satellite map of Iceland volcano
The volcanic eruption occurred approximately 48km away from Reykjavik, the capital, and roughly 28 miles from Keflavik International Airport.
According to a statement from the Icelandic government, flights to and from the airport will continue despite the nearby volcanic eruption.
According to a statement from the government, the volcanic eruption poses no danger to human life. There have been no reported flight disruptions to or from Iceland and international flight paths are still operating normally.
The eruption has prompted authorities to issue a warning about the release of harmful gases, which may result in air pollution in the capital city.
The Icelandic Tourist Board informed CNN on Tuesday that due to the current eruption, harmful gases are being released and it is strongly advised for people to avoid visiting the site until responders and scientists have evaluated the situation.
The origin of the article cannot be reworded.
