Volcanic Eruption on Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland
Residents Evacuate and Famous Hot Springs Closed
A volcano erupted on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern Iceland, known as the land of ice and fire, sending a lava column over 100 meters high at one point.
According to the BBC and others on the 19th (local time), the Icelandic Meteorological Office announced that a volcano erupted at a point 4 km from the town of Grindav?k on the Reykjanes Peninsula the previous day, releasing about 100 to 200 cubic meters of lava per second.
In particular, three of the five vents continuously spewed lava, and the lava and smoke soared more than 100 meters above the ground. This eruption occurred after several weeks of intense earthquakes in southern Iceland.
On the 18th (local time), a volcano erupted near Grindavik in the Reykjanes Peninsula, southwest Iceland, coloring the night sky orange. A resident is seen raising both arms and looking at the scene. [Image source=AFP Yonhap News]
Earlier, Icelandic authorities, who predicted the volcanic eruption, declared a state of emergency last month. Accordingly, 4,000 residents of Grindav?k were evacuated in advance, and the famous tourist spot Blue Lagoon hot springs north of Grindav?k was temporarily closed. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported.
A resident living in the capital Reykjavik said, "There was a flash in the sky due to the volcanic eruption, and we could see smoke rising into the air."
A British tourist couple in their 20s, Peter and Amrit, took selfies with the lava in the background. Peter said, "We were not afraid at all. We thought the Icelandic authorities were handling the situation well and provided us with relevant information," adding, "We felt completely safe."
Videos capturing the situation show flashes in the sky during the volcanic eruption and lava flowing along the ridge. A resident living about 20 km from Grindav?k said he witnessed the volcanic eruption from his home. He said, "Seeing it with my own eyes was truly unbelievable. There have been volcanic eruptions before, but I have never been this scared."
However, airport operations were not suspended due to the volcanic eruption. Iceland's Foreign Minister Bjarni Benediktsson stated on X (formerly Twitter), "There are no disruptions to flights to and from Iceland, and international flight routes remain open."
Meanwhile, Iceland, with a population of 390,000, is famous for frequent volcanic eruptions. Known as the land of fire and ice, Iceland is located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge where the North American and Eurasian plates diverge, making it one of the most geologically active places on Earth.
In 1973, the Eldfell volcano eruption destroyed hundreds of houses on the southern island of Heimaey. Also, in 2010, the eruption of Eyjafjallaj?kull volcano caused volcanic ash clouds to spread, leading to the closure of most European airspace for nearly a week.
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