700 meters torn on earth – Iceland: Lava flows on the famous blue lagoon

According to the Icelandic weather Authority, the volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula began southwest of the capital Reykjavik, who expected for weeks, immediately north of the Grindavík -Vissersstad. In live recordings of the Rúv broadcaster, on Tuesday you could see how the lava ran from a huge crack to the surface of the earth.

The eruption column reached a total length of approximately 1200 meters in the early afternoon. However, it continues to expand to the south, the weather authority said. The Icelandic civil protection called on the emergency level.

Swarm of earthquake announced the outbreak
The coming outbreak had announced itself in the morning with an ever -increasing crowd of earthquake in the region. In the meantime, the geothermal bath blue lagoon became popular among tourists as quickly as Grindavík, where rescue workers reported that the earthquake felt on the spot. It was feared that cracks could open in the ground in the village.

Nevertheless, eight people decided to stay in Grindavík, Rúv reported about the police. The authorities have explicitly called to leave the place. According to the weather authority, a warm waterline broke later in the north of the city. Before the volcanic activities of recent years, Grindavík had nearly 4,000 inhabitants, but of whom most have now moved.

On the Reykjanes peninsula, columns of these types of columns are no longer unusual: the current outbreak has been the eleventh since 2021 and the eighth since December 2023. The last eruption had started last November before it ended after 18 days. How long the eruption will last this time cannot be estimated.

Great care for the fishing village
However, the first signs now indicated even greater outbreak than with the previous natural glasses: according to the weather authority, the underground Magmat tunnel is an estimated eleven kilometers long. It was especially important to ensure that the lava mass broke a protective wall north of Grindavík.

What effects that will have on the lava flow were initially unclear. Given the current wind direction, the authorities also warned that the gases broadcast by the lava are worn to the capital.

The renewed outbreak was expected for weeks, while large Mam Massas had gathered in an underground room. According to the weather authority, the Magma volume under the Sundhnúkur -crater was never greater.

Infrastructure Eyjólfur Ármannsson said after Rúv information that one could only wait and see how the eruption develops. It was had to hope that the eruption column will not reach with Grindavík.

Elongated soil column
The outbreaks do not have to be thought of a classic volcanic mountain as such: instead, an elongated gorge of the earth opens, from which gloeiters then bubbles lava for days – hence the name of the name column eruption.

As a rule, the lava masses in the sparsely populated area are not dangerous for people. However, three houses on the outskirts of Grindavík from the lava were also included in one of the previous eruptions, and the parking lot of the Blue Lagoon in November. Large and most recently reinforced protective walls made from the earth must protect the infrastructure in the area in the best possible way.

Outbursts can continue for decades
The eruptions on the Reykjanes peninsula can be attributed to various volcanic systems with underground magma rooms. For almost 800 years the earth had given peace under the area in southwestern Iceland, and then a first outbreak had taken place in March 2021.

After three first eruptions on the Bergmassiv Fagradalfjall, the series of outbreak shifted to the nearby Sundhnúkur Crater chain almost a year and a half ago. Researchers assume that she can continue for decades.