Iceland volcano: How long can the eruption in Grindavik last according to experts?
In October, intense earthquakes shook the southwestern Icelandic village of Grindavik. On Monday night, lava erupted, spewing forth from a nearby fissure.
The small fishing village of Grindavik in Iceland, 25 miles southwest from the capitol Reykjavik, was hit by a swarm of intense earthquakes in late October. Since then, the nearly 4,000 inhabitants have been evacuated over concerns of an imminent eruption. As well, one of Iceland’s must-do tourist attractions, the nearby Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, was closed temporarily.
On Monday, those fears were realized when a two-and-a-half-mile-long fissure opened, spewing lava 330 feet into the air. The amount of molten rock flowing out is several times more than in previous eruptions in the area according to the country’s Meteorological Office, around 3,530 to 7,060 cubic feet per second.
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Iceland volcano: How long can the eruption in Grindavik last according to experts?
Iceland is located atop the northern portion of the mid-Atlantic Ridge where two tectonic plates meet in the Atlantic Ocean. This situation makes it a seismic and volcanic hot spot as the Eurasian and the North American plates push away from each other.
This latest eruption follows several that have occurred in recent years on the Reykjanes peninsula. The Fagradalsfjall volcanic system, which is located northeast of Grindavik, came alive in March 2021 after being dormant for centuries. Molten rock erupted from fissures measuring up to half a mile at the time.
That activity, which was in an unpopulated area, lasted for six months and became a tourist destination. Lava spewed forth once again in August 2022 for three weeks and yet another eruption in July this year.
Experts believe that this latest eruption could “could potentially go on for several months,” or on the other hand “could also just stop later today or tomorrow,” according to Professor Halldor Geirsson of the University of Iceland. Currently the lava is flowing away from Grindavik and the flow from the fissure has slowed significantly compared to the initial hours of the eruption.
“The lava flow is estimated to be about one-quarter of what it was at the beginning of the eruption on 18 December, and a third of the original fissure is active,” informed the Met Office. “The lava fountains are also lower than at the start of the eruption, reaching about 30 meters [100 feet] at their highest. These figures are based on visual estimates from a reconnaissance flight early on 19 December... Presently, there are about five eruption vents spread along the original fissure.”
Grindavik is not completely in the clear from volcanic eruption
“Seismic activity together with measurements from GPS devices indicate that the magma is moving to the southwest and the eruption may continue in the direction of Grindavik,” the Met Office said.