16 November 2023 , 10:27
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Plumes of smoke are forming in Iceland and bulldozers are scrambling to build defences as fears mount of an unprecedented volcanic eruption on the small island nation.
Iceland's southwestern peninsula could now face decades of volcanic instability, the Icelandic Met Office (IMO) has warned. After 800 years of inactivity, a 2021 eruption of the Fagradalsfjall volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula marked the start of a new cycle of volcanic activity. The IMO says that the "likelihood of a volcanic eruption is high" and could happen at any time in the coming days.
Now, a live webcam has been set up so people can watch the impending explosion and the magma bubbling away. The British government has said, "no travel can be guaranteed as safe as earthquakes and indications of volcanic activity have increased above normal levels." Perhaps Iceland's most famous attraction has announced it is extending its closure due to fears of a volcanic eruption. The Blue Lagoon, its surrounding hotels, spa and restaurants will be closed until at least the 30 November.
Residents carrying belongings from their homes to a vehicle in Grindavik (AFP via Getty Images)The country's geography means it is vulnerable to eruptions such as the one predicted in the coming days. People likely remember the 2010 Eyjafjallajokull volcanic eruption, which caused the largest closure of European airspace since World War II. The country sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates diverge - making it one of the most active volcanic regions in the world.
The town of Grindavík was evacuated as a precaution and as of yesterday afternoon, there has been no electricity there. Sky News reports that Sigrun Inga Aevarsdottir, spokesperson for energy firm HS Veitur, says the company's employees have not been able to enter the town to diagnose the fault. The magma is now thought to be just 500m below the surface, right on the edge of the town of 4,000 people and they fear their homes could soon be engulfed.
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Thomas Moore, Sky News Science Correspondent wrote in a chilling dispatch: "The ground beneath our feet is supposed to be rock solid. We even call it terra firma. But it's not in Grindavik, not now. You feel it could swallow you up at any moment. That sounds like a disaster movie, and the town looks like a Hollywood set. Grindavik is at the mercy of the molten rock rising from beneath. And at some point, it will be left to its fate."