NEWS UPDATE ON ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
ICELAND IN STATE OF EMERGENCY AFTER
VOLCANO ERUPTS, FOUR TIME IN 3 MONTHS
No confirmed deaths have been reported from the
latest volcanic eruption, the fourth since December.
Icelandic authorities declared a state of emergency on
Saturday due to a new volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes
Peninsula, marking the fourth eruption in the area since
December. The Icelandic Meteorological Office confirmed
the eruption between Stori-Skogfell and Hagafell, with live
video showing lava and smoke. The Department of Civil
Protection and Emergency Management dispatched a
helicopter to pinpoint the fissure's exact location. They also
stated that the police had declared the state of emergency.
The eruption, similar to one in February, prompted
concerns as lava flowed towards Grindavik. Evacuations
were conducted at the Blue Lagoon thermal spa, a popular
tourist spot. No disruptions to flights were noted at
Keflavik, Iceland's primary airport nearby. The eruption
occurred a few kilometers northeast of Grindavik, a coastal
town with a population of 3,800, approximately 50 km
southwest of Reykjavik, the capital, which had been
evacuated before the initial eruption in December. Some
residents who had returned home were evacuated again on
Saturday. Grindavik had been evacuated in November due
to the awakening of the Svartsengi volcanic system, which
had remained dormant for almost 800 years, resulting in
earthquakes and large ground cracks north of the town.
The volcano erupted on December 18, with lava flowing
away from Grindavik. A second eruption on January 14
directed lava toward the town, causing damage to several
buildings despite reinforced defensive walls. Both eruptions
lasted only a few days. A third eruption began on February
8 but ended within hours, damaging infrastructure such as
a pipeline, resulting in the loss of heat and hot water for
thousands. Geophysicist Magnus Tumi Gudmundsson
described the latest eruption as the most powerful so far,
with lava heading towards the protective barriers around
Grindavik, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office
(IMO). Iceland, located above a volcanic hotspot in the
North Atlantic, experiences frequent eruptions and is well-
equipped to handle them. The most disruptive recent
eruption was in 2010, when the Eyjafjallajokull volcano
emitted vast ash clouds, leading to widespread airspace
closures over Europe. While no confirmed deaths have
been reported from the recent eruptions, a worker was
reported missing after falling into a fissure caused by the
volcano
An emergency vehicle is stationed on a road
leading to volcanic activity between Hagafell
and Stori-Skogfell, Iceland on Saturday, March
16, 2024. Lava spewed Saturday from a new
volcanic fissure on Iceland’s Reykjanes
Peninsula, the fourth eruption to hit the area
since December, authorities said.
Spectators watch plumes of smoke from volcanic
activity between Hagafell and Stori-Skogfell on
Saturday, March 16, 2024