A volcano erupted again Thursday in Iceland. The Reykjanes peninsula, in the southwest of the country, has recorded three eruptions since Dec. 18, when the Fagradalsfjall volcano began to burst with lava:
Fyrstu myndir af eldgosinu úr þyrlu. Sprungan er norðaustan af Sýlingarfelli, um þriggja kílómetra löng úr norðri til suðurs. Hraun rennur mest til vesturs. pic.twitter.com/0Om1uTl96w
— Fréttastofa RÚV (@RUVfrettir) February 8, 2024
The images, captured by public television channel RUV, show lava and a cloud of smoke emerging from the volcano. The Icelandic Meteorological Office first warned of the eruption, which, it stated that it "intensified at 05:20 and the magma rose to the surface around 06:00":
At 5:30 this morning an intense seismic activity started north-east of Mt. Sýlingarfell. Around 30 minutes later, a volcanic eruption started at the site. The eruptive fissure lengthened both towards north and south during the first minutes.
The crack is approximately 2 miles long and the lava is flowing mainly to the west. However, it does not seem that it will put the nearby town of Grindavik at risk since it was a phenomenon that the Icelandic authorities warned could be repeated after the measures adopted a few months ago.
The Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, which already had to close a few months ago when seismic activity began on the Fagradalsfjall volcano, has once again announced its closure. The guests, reports RUV, have been evacuated to nearby hotels waiting for the danger to pass.
Our facilities are temporarily closed due to a volcanic eruption. Please visit our website for further updates and information. pic.twitter.com/bTzxhFzhc1
— Blue Lagoon Iceland (@BlueLagoonIS) February 8, 2024
