Magma fountains spew from Iceland volcano with lava pool heading for Blue Lagoon
Fast-flowing lava raced towards a town in Iceland today after a volcano erupted for the third time in just three months.
The eruption began at Sundhnúk shortly before 6am on Thursday morning, and locals reported it looked bigger than before.
It comes after experts in the scientific community told of their fear the long-dormant fault line running under the country has woken up. There are concerns it could now erupt for years ahead.
The Norwegian Meteorological Agency said a three-kilometre (1.8 mile) crack from the volcanic eruption had been spotted on Thursday near the eastern end of Stora Skogfell, north of Grindavik.
Lava flowed onto roads near Grindavik on Thursday (AFP via Getty Images)The lava began flowing over abandoned town of Grindavík later on Thursday morning. According to a local mbl.is reporter, a lot of smoke can be seen in the area. Local reports say the eruption in December lasted 60 hours, and experts have estimated that this latest eruption could last 80 hours - just over three days.
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It is the latest in a string of recent eruptions in Iceland (AFP via Getty Images)Dramatic photographs have shown the new eruption visible across western Iceland, with the smoke and bright orange glow from the lava illuminating the dark winter skies above the capital of Reykjavik. Live webcam footage closer to the scene shows a constant lava flow running from the Þorbjörn mountain throughout the morning.
The eruption is visible above the capital city of ReykjavikSirens blared loudly around 6am in the deserted town of Grindavik, which is the closest major settlement to the volcano. It has recently been beset by evacuation chaos, with 4,000 people forced to relocate after thousands of earthquakes ripped the town apart.
The first eruption took place in December before Christmas and the second in January, which saw lava reach homes on the outskirts of the abandoned fishing town. Announcing the latest eruption, Icelandic authorities said on Thursday: "An eruption has started on the Reykjaness Peninsula. Increased seismic activity was observed at 05:40 this morning, and it was a magma run, according to the Norwegian Meteorological Agency.
Some locals claimed the eruption looks bigger than before (AFP via Getty Images)“Then at 6 this morning, another eruption began in the Sundhnúks crater series, north of Sýlingarfell. Earlier, the announcement by the Norwegian Meteorological Agency stated that a magma flow had begun and there was an increased chance of an eruption at Sundhnúks crater.”
Brits living in Iceland have described witnessing the new eruption from miles away. Expat Iain Davies, 47, who is originally from Tickhill in Doncaster but moved to Iceland 13 years ago, told The Mirror: “I just looked out the window at work and couldn’t believe it. It looked so close and I thought its must be a massive fire because it looks 1 km away not 20 km.” His wife Noppawan Laorattanapaiboon, who drove nearer to the scene, said: “It was just amazing to be so close and it felt so powerful. This one seems bigger than the last one. “
The eruption is in a similar location as last time, but located slightly further north (Icelandic Coast Guard/AFP via Ge)The Coastguard are preparing for a flight to find out the extent of the eruption. Current assessments by the Icelandic Met Office say the eruption is in a similar location as the last time, but located slightly further north, and it is thought it could last for longer. A plume of vapour is rising about one-and-a-half miles above the volcano.
Experts had warned of renewed seismic activity in the area (AFP via Getty Images)Volcanologist Thorvaldur Thordarson meanwhile told the national broadcaster RUV that while lava was currently being held up on shrubland, flows from the eruption "may put some pressure on the defences in Svartsengi." Fannar Jónasson, mayor of Grindavik, said the current rate of volcanic activity was alarming, and told the broadcaster: "Three eruptions in two to three months tells the story."
Grindavik residents have been able to visit their homes for short periods of time in recent weeks - but access was tightened up on Tuesday after authorities said the "chances of quick eruption and volcanic eruption" had suddenly increased. Earlier this week pictures emerged of a large crack found under an indoor football stadium. Then, The Icelandic Met Office reported magma had been accumulating again under the 4km fault line which runs near a power plant and the famous Blue Lagoon tourist attraction.
Coastguard footage captured some of the lava flows on Thursday (RUV)The amount of magma or semi-molten rock that had accumulated was similar to the amount released during an eruption in January. Hundreds of small earthquakes had been measured in the area since last Friday, capped by a burst of intense seismic activity about half an hour before the latest eruption began.
Iceland tourist bosses have been worried about the recent eruptions hurting visitor numbers - but one low cost airline has reported the reverse, with bookings going up. Play airline experienced a 61% surge in passenger numbers in January 2024 compared to the previous year, reaching 99,704 travellers.
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The island nation, which sits above a volcanic hot spot in the North Atlantic, averages an eruption every four to five years.
The most disruptive in recent times was the 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, which spewed huge clouds of ash into the atmosphere and led to widespread airspace closures over Europe, including the UK.
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