Volcanic Eruption in Iceland... First Since 1240

A volcano that erupted near Fagradalsfjall on the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland. / Photo by Icelandic Meteorological Office, captured from social media (SNS) video

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] A volcano erupted on the Reykjanes Peninsula in the southwest of Iceland, a Nordic island nation. This caused disruptions such as the temporary suspension of flights at a nearby international airport.

According to foreign media including The Guardian on the 20th (local time), a volcano erupted on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwest Iceland.

According to the Icelandic Meteorological Office, the volcano that began erupting that day is located in the Fagradalsfjall area, about 30 km southwest of the capital Reykjavik. This is the first volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula since 1240, 800 years ago.

Within four hours of the eruption, an area of 1 km² around the volcano was covered with lava, leading to the temporary suspension of flights at Keflavik International Airport near Reykjavik.

Over the past four weeks, more than 40,000 small and large earthquakes have occurred in Iceland, signaling the possibility of a volcanic eruption. In particular, earthquakes exceeding magnitude 5.0 occurred on the 27th of last month and the 1st of this month.

Iceland, which has about 100 volcanoes, is located between the Eurasian Plate and the North American Plate, making it an area with active volcanic activity. In August 2014, the Bauldarbunga volcano in the east erupted, prompting the highest-level red alert.

In 2010, the Eyjafjallaj?kull volcano erupted, covering the skies of Europe with volcanic ash.