Authorities fear that Iceland’s volcano, located in the Grindavík area, could erupt with as little as 30 minutes’ notice, as the country’s Meteorological Office warned that magma may have reached high depths in the Earth’s crust.
Kristín Jónsdóttir, head of department at the Icelandic Meteorological Office, said people “will have to wait in suspense for the next few days” to see how events unfold. She noted that the decrease in seismic activity over the past 24 hours could be an indication that the magma is very close to the Earth’s surface. What does this mean? The scenario is not unlike that observed before a previous eruption in 2021.
Iceland: Less Than 30 Minutes Before a Possible Volcanic Eruption
Authorities fear that inhabitants will only have a “30 minutes’ warning” before the expected volcanic eruption. “All the big signs are already present, so we are looking for the small signs, the signs that indicate that, even though we are monitoring very closely,” added Vídir Reynisson, head of civil protection.
The Meteorological Office said magmatic gas has been detected in a borehole at Svartsengi, signaling an imminent eruption of the Fagradalsfjall volcano in the coming days, with the town of Grindavík being the most vulnerable. Residents of the evacuated town of Grindavík have been allowed to quickly return to their homes to collect their belongings, but, should a possible return be allowed, the uncertainty will be brutal.
Moreover, in the current scenario, the authorities would have no scope for people to return to the area to check the situation of their homes. Currently, very few people can return for very short periods to their homes, and at all times they are accompanied by rescue teams. As soon as the alert of imminent eruption arrives, they have less than half an hour to leave the area. Small groups arrive every day to look for their documents and personal belongings.
“An eruption is expected and imminent, but we just don’t know when or where. There is no time limit, but you are asked to go as fast as you can,” is the message from rescue teams to journalists in the area.
What Is Happening in Iceland?
Since late October, the region surrounding the Icelandic capital Reykjavik in the southwest has experienced an increase in seismic activity. This is due to a subway river of magma, a hot liquid or semi-liquid rock, approximately 15 kilometers long, moving upward beneath the earth’s surface.
All this occurs beneath Iceland and part of the Atlantic Ocean, and the impact of an eruption on the country, and further afield in terms of aviation, will depend on exactly where the magma breaks the surface. One city, Grindavik, which lies directly above the magma, has already been evacuated due to the risk of ‘fire fountains’ and noxious gases.
If there is an eruption in Iceland, the damage will be very significant to local infrastructure, and there could be a release of toxic fumes. However, at least in the last few hours, initial concerns about a much wider disruption are now diminishing.
According to experts, Grindavik is very close to the position of the new fracture, and its survival is at absolute risk. It all depends on where the magma eventually reaches the surface, but the situation does not appear to be good for the town’s residents.
Iceland: What Happens When a Volcano Erupts on an Island?
If a volcano erupts at sea or erupts on land and then flows out to sea, there is a risk of an explosive ash cloud when the extremely hot rock comes into contact with water. In April 2010, the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano caused the largest closure of European airspace since World War II as a result of an extensive ash cloud, with losses estimated at between 1.5 billion and 2.5 billion euros.
The circumstances of this volcanic activity are very different, so such an extensive impact is not expected. The Icelandic Meteorological Office estimates that magma is currently 800 meters from the surface, and as a result, the probability of an eruption is “high” and could occur in the next few days.
In recent days, ground deformation continued, with cracks and fissures up to a meter deep reported on roads, suggesting that magma could be even closer to the surface, indicating that things could be coming to a head.
This story was written in Spanish by Miguel Fernández in Cultura Colectiva News
