Lava from a volcanic eruption in Iceland flowed Sunday toward defenses around the town of Grindavik, successfully preventing it from reaching the evacuated community. Scientists have observed that the eruption appears to be weakening.
The volcanic system on the Reykjanes Peninsula in the southwest erupted late Saturday for the fourth time in three months, sending dramatic orange jets of lava into the night sky.
Iceland's Meteorological Office reported that the eruption opened a fissure approximately 3 kilometers long between the mountains of Stóra-Skógfell and Hagafell.
Lava flows are moving south and southeast at about 1 kilometer per hour and may eventually reach the ocean. To protect the main road along the peninsula's southern coast, defensive barriers have been constructed to stop the molten rock from inundating the area.
As a result of the eruption, hundreds of people were evacuated from the Blue Lagoon thermal spa, one of Iceland's premier tourist attractions, according to national broadcaster RUV.
Despite the eruption, no flight disruptions were reported at Keflavik, Iceland's main airport.
The eruption site is located a few kilometers northeast of Grindavik, a coastal town of 3,800 residents about 50 kilometers southwest of Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland.
The town was evacuated prior to the initial eruption on December 18. A second eruption on January 14 sent lava toward the town again. Although defensive walls bolstered after the first eruption stopped some of the lava, several buildings were consumed.
Previous eruptions lasted only a few days. The third eruption began on February 8 and ended within hours, but not before a river of lava engulfed a pipeline, cutting off heat and hot water to thousands of people.
Iceland, situated above a volcanic hot spot in the North Atlantic, regularly experiences eruptions and is highly experienced at managing them. The most disruptive eruption in recent years was the 2010 event at the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, which released large ash clouds into the atmosphere and led to widespread airspace closures over Europe.
The latest eruptions indicate a reawakening of the Svartsengi volcanic system after nearly 800 years of inactivity. It remains unclear when this period of activity will end or what implications it holds for the Reykjanes Peninsula, one of Iceland's most densely populated regions.
No confirmed deaths have been reported from the recent eruptions, although one workman was declared missing after falling into a fissure opened by the volcano.
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Iceland's latest volcanic eruption is weakening, defenses are holding
cgtn.com
