Iceland volcano eruption update: Magma ‘very close’ to surface as residents ‘wait in suspense’
Magma may have reached very high up in the Earth’s crust, according to Iceland’s meteorological office, which says people will have to “wait in suspense for the next few days” to see how events play out.
“While there is still magma flow into the corridor, and while our data and models show that, that probability is imminent, and we really just have to wait in suspense for the next few days to see what happens,” Kristín Jónsdóttir, head of department at the Icelandic Meteorological Office, said.
She said the decreasing earthquake activity over the last 24 hours could be a sign that magma has reached very high up in the earth’s crust, adding that the scenario is not unlike what was seen prior to a previous eruption in 2021.
The Met Office said magmatic gas has been detected at a borehole in Svartsengi, signalling an imminent eruption of the Fagradalsfjall volcano over the coming days, with the town of Grindavik most at risk.
“Hagafell is thought to be a prime location for an eruption,” the forecaster said.
An eruption is now feared by many experts to be a case of when, not if.
Key Points
Eruption could be like ‘can of fizzy drink’ exploding
Defence walls built around power plant
Fears over flights in and out of Iceland
Eruption fears as magma spreads underground and cracks appear in roads
Eruption at magma dyke would likely be within days, says top official
12:20 , Andy Gregory
If an eruption is going to occur in the magma dyke near Grindavik, it will likely be “within days”, Iceland’s civil defence chief has said.
According to Iceland’s national broadcaster RUV, Víðir Reynisson told reporters this morning: “We have very clear signs of magma along the dyke. It is estimated at less than 1km depth.
“Since then we have not seen signs of it getting closer to the surface. The likely time of something happening along the dyke, especially in the center, if it happens, is within days not weeks.
“If this continues without an eruption the chance of one decreases with time pretty rapidly. But then we see the changes at Svartsengi which possibly introduce the next stage of this.”
Iceland residents fleeing imminent volcanic eruption told they face months away from home
11:37 , Andy Gregory
At a Civil Defence briefing last week, director Víðir Reynisson said there was significant damage to houses and pipes in the evacuated town of Grindavik, my colleague Athena Stavrou reports.
The fishing town has been the most affected area in Iceland, as the magma tunnel snakes beneath the ground leaving huge cracks in roads.
While the eruption is most likely to happen in Hagafell, there is a possibility that it could happen anywhere along the magma tunnel.
Mr Reynisson said: “This plus uncertainty about earthquakes means that residents have to prepare to live elsewhere in the coming months.”
Locals have been permitted to briefly enter their homes for five minutes this week to collect their valuables and pets but need prior authorisation.
Iceland officials reveal where volcano will likely erupt
Hundreds of earthquakes beneath Grindavik in recent hours
10:45 , Andy Gregory
Some 460 earthquakes have been recorded at the magma tunnel beneath the town of Grindavik since midnight, Iceland’s national broadcaster RUV reports.
That represents a slight increase in seismicity, with the largest tremor a magnitude 2.7.
‘Like a dystopian movie’: Iceland residents describe ‘apocalyptic’ scenes as they flee volcano threat
10:10 , Andy Gregory
Residents from Grindavik, the small Icelandic town under threat from a volcanic eruption, have described their ‘apocalyptic’ existence as they fear for their future.
Grindavik resident Andrea Ævarsdóttir, 46, told The Independent: “Everything just seems so unreal, I feel like I’m in a dystopian movie. I’m just waiting to wake up from this nightmare.”
The mother was getting ready to go into Reykjavík to celebrate her son Björgvin Hrafnar’s 16th birthday when their house started to shake on Friday.
“Some of them [the earthquakes] were like a big truck had driven past your house, the bigger ones were like the same truck had hit your house,” she said. “Everything was shaking so bad, the floors were going up and down.”
My colleague Lydia Patrick has more in this report:
Iceland residents describe ‘apocalyptic’ scenes as they flee volcano threat
Evacuated residents to be allowed brief return home to rescue valuables
09:23 , Andy Gregory
Selected residents of an Iceland town evacuated due to fears of an eruption will be allowed to briefly return to their homes to collect valuables today – in a plan which could change at the last minute.
A notice issued by the local police chief said that permits had been given for the owners of 120 properties in Grindavik to rescue their valuables. They will be transported to and from a collection point by emergency personnel.
“First of all, the safety of the responders, most of whom are volunteers, must be considered. Their safety must always be ensured. There is still a high probability of an eruption,” said the police chief.
Watch: Huge cracks appear on roads in town at risk of volcanic eruption
08:59 , Andy Gregory
Area near power plant entering ‘new eruption phase’, says volcanologist
08:31 , Andy Gregory
The area near the Svartsengi power plant has entered a “new eruption phase”, an Icelandic volcanologist has suggested.
The land near the power plant is swelling as a chamber some 4.5 kilometres below the surface fills with magma at a rate of around 50 cubic metres per second, according to Professor Thorvaldur Thordarson – in a repeat of the events which saw huge fissures appear in the ground earlier this month.
“I think the likelihood of an eruption in the northern part of the Sundhnúkar crater row or in Illahraun lava increasing every day. I think the likelihood of an eruption there is increasing because of the land rise in that area,” Professor Thordarson told Iceland Monitor.
He added: “We’re in a new and a changed situation and we’ve entered a new the eruption phase, and so it’s very constructive for us to think about what kind of preventive measures we can take. What can we do before an eruption occurs that will help us reduce its impact on society and infrastructure?”
Ground near power plant swells as chamber beneath floods with magma
08:05 , Andy Gregory
The land near the Svartsengi power plant is now rising even faster than it did prior to the subterranean events which led to huge cracks appearing in the ground there earlier this month, a volcanologist has said.
Land swelling is common prior to volcanic eruptions, and Professor Thorvaldur Thordarson said the ground is now rising some 5.5 times faster than it did 10 days ago, with the flow of magma into the storage chamber – which sits 4.5km below the surface – now around 10 times faster, at around 50 cubic metres per second.
“The land is rising much faster now. This happens simultaneously because the magma is creating space and thus raising the surface of the earth,” Professor Thordarson told Iceland Monitor.
If this speed continues, the volcanologist believes the Svartsengi power plant will have reached its previous position in five to 15 days.
“What happens then, it’s hard to tell,” he said. “We might get an eruption, we might have a re-run of the activitites that happened on 10 November or just something completely new.”
It’s like a dystopian movie’: Iceland residents describe ‘apocalyptic’ scene
07:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Residents from a small Icelandic town under threat from a volcanic eruption have described their ‘apocalyptic’ existence as they fear for their future.
Grindavik resident Andrea Ævarsdóttir, 46, told The Independent: “Everything just seems so unreal, I feel like I’m in a dystopian movie. I’m just waiting to wake up from this nightmare.”
Lydia Patrick reports.
Iceland residents describe ‘apocalyptic’ scenes as they flee volcano threat
Iceland earthquakes: Huge cracks appear on roads in town at risk of volcanic eruption
07:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Is it safe to travel to Iceland?
06:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The town of Grindavík, just 10 miles south of Keflavik International Airport, has been evacuated as a precaution. Yet flights are continuing to arrive and depart as normal.
A spokesperson for British Airways told The Independent: “Our flights are operating as planned and we continue to monitor the situation closely.
“We will be in touch with customers directly should the situation change.”
Simon Calder has more.
Is it safe to travel to Iceland? Your rights if you have a holiday booked
Roads split open in Grindavik ahead of possible volcanic eruption
06:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Race against time to save power plant from lava
05:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Icelandic authorities have ordered construction of defences around the Svartsengi power plant to protect it from lava flow in event of a volcanic eruption near the area.
The “extensive” construction began on 14 November to establish a “basic defence line” as soon as possible to protect the plant from the first onslaught of possible lava.
Big earth-moving equipment and powerful bulldozers were pressed into action, state broadcaster RUV reported.
Land around power plant rising faster, says volcanologist
05:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The land around the Svartsengi power plant, located about 4km from the town of Grindavik, is rising much faster than it did before the earthquakes, volcanologist Þorvald Þórðarson said.
“The flow of magma into this storage chamber, which is at a depth of 4.5km is 8 to 10 times higher than what people were talking about before 10 November,” he told Iceland Monitor.
“Then it was about 5 to 7 cubic metres per second, but now it is about 50 cubic metres per second,” he added.
“The country is rising much faster now. This happens simultaneously because the magma is creating space and thus raising the surface of the earth.”
Iceland volcano could erupt like a ‘can of fizzy drink’
04:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
A volcano close to erupting in Iceland could explode like a “can of fizzy drink,” an expert has said.
Iceland’s Met Office has said magmatic gas has been detected at a borehole in Svartsengi, signalling an imminent eruption of the Fagradalsfjall volcano over the coming days, with the town of Grindavik most at risk.
Magma has been building underneath Iceland and Margaret Hartley, a senior lecturer in Earth sciences at the University of Manchester, said an eruption was a case of when, not if.
“I do think an eruption will take place, but the big question is when that might happen,” she told Live Science.
An eruption would take place when an open fracture connecting the magma dike to the Earth’s surface opens up.
Matt Mathers has more.
Iceland volcano could erupt like a ‘can of fizzy drink’
Iceland residents told they face months away from home
04:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Experts have revealed the likely eruption site of a volcano in Iceland, as authorities warn evacuees they may not return home for months.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) said magmatic gas has been detected at a borehole in Svartsengi, signalling an imminent eruption of the Fagradalsfjall volcano over the coming days.
“Hagafell is thought to be a prime location for an eruption,” the forecaster said.
The likely eruption site is near the town of Grindavik, which was evacuated due to a string of earthquakes shaking residents and their homes.
Athena Stavrou reports.
Iceland officials reveal where volcano will likely erupt
No country better prepared for volcanos than Iceland, says PM
03:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
No other country was better prepared than Iceland for volcanic eruptions and other natural disasters, prime minister Katrin Jakobsdottir said.
Her statement comes at a time when people are fearing the imminent eruption of the Fagradalsfjall volcano over the coming days, with the town of Grindavik most at risk.
“We have long experience in dealing with volcanic eruptions,” the prime minister said.
“We know that it’s not necessarily a sound decision to build for example defence mechanisms when you have such a great uncertainty where an eruption can come up.”
She continued: “Our main priority is really to embrace those people, ensure that they have adequate salaries and to find proper housing for them for the next weeks or months.”
“We have proposed a bill for the parliament to ensure the salaries for the next three months. And we are working as fast as we can to ensure proper housing for those people.”
Flights into Iceland
03:13 , Alex Ross
Flights to Keflavik Airport remain undisrupted despite the predicted location of a volcano eruption being close to the airport.
Here are the flights from the UK until 3.10pm:
Arrival 10.30am - from London Luton, Wizz Air
Arrival 10.45am - from London Luton, EasyJet
Arrival 10.45am - from Birmingham, Jet2
Arrival 10.55am - from London Heathrow, British Airways
Arrival 11.25am - from London Gatwick, EasyJet
Arrival 11.30am - from Manchester, Jet2
Arrival 1.40pm - from Liverpool, Play
Arrival 2pm - from London Stansted, Play
Arrival 2.25pm - from Manchester, Icelandair
Arrival 3.10pm - from Glasgow, Icelandair
Blue Lagoon still temporarily closed
02:13 , Alex Ross
Iceland’s famous Blue Lagoon spa shut down after a series of earthquakes led guests to vacate the hotel.
The Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa southwest of Reykjavík, will be closed until 30 November amid fears of an imminent volcanic eruption.
In an update on its website, the attraction said: “At this moment it is not possible to determine when or where an eruption might occur. The Icelandic Meteorological Office, Civil Protection, and a team of scientists from the University of Iceland are closely monitoring the situation and analysing the developments.”
It added: “Iceland is no stranger to volcanic activity, and there have been three eruptions on the Reykjanes Peninsula in the last two years. Icelandic authorities and local communities are well-prepared for such events, and Iceland has one of the world’s most effective volcanic preparedness measures. Iceland’s geoscientists possess vast experience in dealing with volcanic activities.”
Will an eruption lead to disruption for aviation?
01:13 , Alex Ross
Yes, and no - that’s according to Dr David Neave, senior lecturer at The University of Manchester.
The evacuated town of Grindavik is close to Keflavik international airport, and so there are understandably concerns it could lead to issues, especially with the memories of 2010 still in people’s minds.
Dr Neave said: “If there is an eruption on land, the Icelandic aviation authorities may be able to work around it as they have done during recent eruptions at Fagradalsfjall. The situation may be very different if the eruption occurs offshore and generates a lot of ash.
“That said, we know a lot more about ash-aircraft interactions than we did in 2010, which will help to improve safety and minimise disruption.”
Best-case scenario?
00:16 , Alex Ross
According to Dr Dave McGarvie, volcanologist, honorary researcher at University of Lancaster, the best-case scenario for Iceland, and all the residents and businesses evacuated, was for the volcano to not erupt.
He said: ““t is known from past eruptive episodes in Iceland (e.g. Krafla Fires, 1975-1984) that not all dikes breach the surface to form eruptions, and that only minority do so – perhaps one in every three of four.
“The best-case scenario is that this happens to the 15 km long dike that has just formed, and that it simply cools and solidifies – and does not erupt.”
Should you travel to Iceland
Sunday 19 November 2023 23:03 , Alex Ross
As the likely eruption of the volcano in Iceland appears to be getting closer, people with flights booked to Iceland will be wondering if it safe to go.
The Foreign Office advice stops well short of advising against travel to Iceland, meaning holiday companies can continue to operate as normal.
It’s advice to travellers is: “The town of Grindavík was evacuated as a precaution. Some roads have been closed and visitors are advised to stay away from the area. Keflavik International Airport is operating as normal.
“While there is no current eruption, it is increasingly possible that one could occur. You should monitor local media for updates and follow the authorities advice on travel to the area.”
Is it safe to travel to Iceland? Your rights if you have a holiday booked
Iceland residents fleeing imminent volcanic eruption told they face months away from home
Sunday 19 November 2023 22:00 , Holly Evans
Experts have revealed the likely eruption site of a volcano in Iceland, as authorities warn evacuees they may not return home for months.
Iceland has seen more than 1,700 earthquakes in the last 24 hours, according to the country’s Met Office, with most of the activity north of Hagafell.
The forecaster said magmatic gas has been detected at a borehole in Svartsengi, signalling an imminent eruption of the Fagradalsfjall volcano over the coming days.
Read the full story here
Iceland officials reveal where volcano will likely erupt
Grindavik couple fear losing their home after evacuating: ‘It’s a pretty grim situation’
Sunday 19 November 2023 20:30 , Holly Evans
A man who evacuated from a town in Iceland after earthquakes put the region on alert for a volcanic eruption said he fears he might never see his home again.
Caitlin McLean, from Scotland, was visiting her boyfriend, Gisli Gunnarsson, in Grindavik when they were forced to flee his home at midnight on Friday, packing only a few essential items, to stay with Mr Gunnarsson’s mother in Reykjavik.
Police evacuated Grindavik after seismic activity in the area moved south towards the town, with a corridor of magma, or semi-molten rock, now thought to be extending under the community, Iceland’s Meteorological Office said.
Today, authorities warned residents that it may be months before they are allowed back into their homes.
Read the full article here
Grindavik couple fear losing home after evacuating: ‘It’s a pretty grim situation’
It may be long time before residents can move back, officials say
Sunday 19 November 2023 19:18 , Holly Evans
It could be a long time before it is safe to move back into Grindavík due to damages to houses and pipes, Víðir Reynisson, director of the civil defense department, said yesterday.
“This plus uncertainty about earthquakes means that Grindvíkings have to prepare to live elsewhere in the coming months,” Mr Reynisson said.
A rescue worker told local news that at least about twenty houses in the town are badly damaged and need a lot of repairs.
More than 1,200 families in the town need to be given a shelter, Grindavík mayor Fannar Jónasson said, adding that “it will take days and weeks to resolve issues so that everyone can enjoy themselves.”
Watch: Iceland roads cracked and evacuations ordered amid looming volcanic eruption
Sunday 19 November 2023 16:42 , Andy Gregory
Volcanic eruption could ‘bury’ evacuated town, says geologist
Sunday 19 November 2023 15:32 , Andy Gregory
If there is a volcanic eruption, it could bury the town of Grindavik, an Icelandic geologist has said.
Ari Trausti Gudmundsson told CNN: “People are now waiting with anxiety [to see] what is going to happen to the town. If the eruption really occurs, it could spare the town to a large extent. It could also, the lava flow, simply bury the town.
Barriers are being built to try and divert potential lava away from a nearby geothermal power plant and the Blue Lagoon. “Not barriers to prevent the lava, but barriers to redirect the lava – because you really cannot stop a lava flow.”
Analysis | Could an Icelandic volcano ground flights like in 2010?
Sunday 19 November 2023 13:08 , Andy Gregory
Our travel correspondent Simon Calder takes questions from readers on whether their upcoming flights could be in jeopardy:
Could an Icelandic volcano ground flights like in 2010?
Biggest volcanic eruptions in the last 10 years
Sunday 19 November 2023 12:13 , Andy Gregory
Iceland is highly susceptible to natural disasters because it lies on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge – a divergent plate boundary where the North American Plate and the Eurasian Plate are moving away from each other, leading to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.
Three eruptions have taken place on the peninsula of Reykjanes near the Fagradalsfjall volcano in the last three years: in March 2021, August 2022 and July 2023.
However, previous eruptions did not cause damage, having occurred in remote valleys.
As Iceland waits in trepidation for the looming volcanic eruption, my colleague Maryam Zakir-Hussain takes a look at some of the biggest volcanic eruptions in the last decade:
Biggest volcanic eruptions in the last 10 years as Iceland town faces devastation
Hundreds of earthquakes recorded near Kysuvik since midnight
Sunday 19 November 2023 10:25 , Andy Gregory
A magnitude 3.7 earthquake was felt at Krysuvik just after 5:30am this morning, local media reports, marking the largest seismic event in the area since Friday morning.
More than 400 earthquakes have been recorded there since midnight, according to Iceland’s national broadcaster RUV, but the activity is thought to be a sign of tension in the crust releasing – rather than an indication the magma is moving at that location.
Video report: Iceland volcano eruption warning forces residents in Grindavik to evacuate
Sunday 19 November 2023 09:07 , Andy Gregory
Residents of a fishing town in south-western Iceland have left their homes after fears of a volcanic eruption caused civil defence authorities to declare a state of emergency in the region. Find out more in this video report:
Seismic activity 'slightly less' than before midnight, officials say
Sunday 19 November 2023 08:30 , Vishwam Sankaran
While more than 300 earthquakes have been recorded since midnight, officials say this is still less activity than last night.
The biggest earthquake since midnight measured 2.8 in the mountainous region of Hagafell, north east of Grindavík, according to the Icelandic Met Office.
Magma is likely moving closer to the surface as less seismic activity may be a sign of less resistance in the earth’s crust, Ríkey Júlíusdóttir, a geologist at the Met Office, said.
“The magma is probably quite shallow, and maybe it doesn’t take much conflict for it to erupt,” seismologist Kristín Jónsdóttir said.
Iceland volcano eruption warning forces residents in Grindavik to evacuate
Sunday 19 November 2023 08:00 , Vishwam Sankaran
Iceland volcano eruption warning forces residents in Grindavik to evacuate
It may be long time before residents can move back, officials say
Sunday 19 November 2023 07:30 , Vishwam Sankaran
It could be a long time before it is safe to move back into Grindavík due to damages to houses and pipes, Víðir Reynisson, director of the civil defense department, said yesterday.
“This plus uncertainty about earthquakes means that Grindvíkings have to prepare to live elsewhere in the coming months,” Mr Reynisson said.
A rescue worker told local news that at least about twenty houses in the town are badly damaged and need a lot of repairs.
More than 1,200 families in the town need to be given a shelter, Grindavík mayor Fannar Jónasson said, adding that “it will take days and weeks to resolve issues so that everyone can enjoy themselves.”
Is it safe to travel to Iceland? Your rights if you have a holiday booked
Sunday 19 November 2023 07:00 , Holly Evans
The earth is at its most restless in Iceland right now. The Reykjanes peninsula, southwest of Reykjavik, is seething with seismic activity sparking hundreds of small earthquakes.
The town of Grindavík, just 10 miles south of Keflavik International Airport, has been evacuated as a precaution.
Yet flights are continuing to arrive and depart as normal. These are the key questions and answers on consumer rights.
Read the full article here
Is it safe to travel to Iceland? Your rights if you have a holiday booked
Costs for housing measures will be significant, Iceland PM says
Sunday 19 November 2023 06:30 , Vishwam Sankaran
The government’s costs for new housing for Grindvíking residents will be significant, says Iceland prime minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir.
With 600 housing requests still outstanding, the prime minister told local news that the government would first “work with what is available,” but also needs to consider building new housing.
“There, we have also been looking at things that can possibly be done faster, such as modular houses that do meet all quality requirements, which could then be built relatively quickly to respond to this situation,” Ms Jakobsdóttir said.
“The authorities have been in conversation with the financial companies about going further, as these are completely unique circumstances,” she added.
Biggest volcanic eruptions in the last 10 years as Iceland town faces devastation
Sunday 19 November 2023 06:00 , Holly Evans
Iceland’s town of Grindavik faces a catastrophic countdown to a volcanic eruption that could see its destruction, experts have warned.
Almost 4,000 people were evacuated from Grindavik over the weekend as authorities feared that molten rock would rise to the surface of the earth and potentially hit the coastal town and a geothermal power station.
It comes as the country has been shaken by more than 880 small earthquakes, prompting fears that the tremors could disrupt the Fagradalsfjall volcano on the Reykjanes peninsula in the southwest of the country.
Read the full article here
Biggest volcanic eruptions in the last 10 years as Iceland town faces devastation
'Design for defence wall to protect Grindavík ready'
Sunday 19 November 2023 05:30 , Vishwam Sankaran
The design for a wall to protect Grindavík from lava flow is ready and its construction can be started quickly should situation arise, Víðir Reynisson, the director of civil defense, said yesterday.
“The position of a dike has been marked based on this scenario that lava would start to flow from this place, which is considered the most likely at the moment,” Mr Reynisson said.
“No construction has been started, but we are waiting for a more detailed risk assessment and the probability that this could actually happen,” he added.
The director of civil dense said teams are prepared to “grab all the equipment that is there” and go into emergency operations to “slow down or divert the lava near Grindavík.”
Sequence of events similar to 2021 eruption, Met Office says
Sunday 19 November 2023 05:00 , Vishwam Sankaran
The current sequence of events in Grindvíking is similar to the one that happened on the eve of the volcanic eruption in Geldingadálar in 2021, says Icelandic Meteorological Office head of department Kristín Jónsdóttir.
“That’s when we saw a very large reduction in deformation and seismicity, and then there was an eruption,” she told local news.
“The magma is probably quite shallow, and maybe it doesn’t take much conflict for it to erupt,” the seismologist said, adding that “we really just have to wait in suspense for the next few days to see what happens.”
There is still a “high probability of a volcanic eruption,” according to the Met Office.
Iceland volcano could erupt like a ‘can of fizzy drink’
Sunday 19 November 2023 04:30 , Vishwam Sankaran
A volcano close to erupting in Iceland could explode like a “can of fizzy drink,” an expert has said.
Iceland’s Met Office has said magmatic gas has been detected at a borehole in Svartsengi, signalling an imminent eruption of the Fagradalsfjall volcano over the coming days, with the town of Grindavik most at risk.
The small fishing town has already been evacuated following thousands of mini earthquakes across the Reykjanes peninsula, southwest Iceland, over the past week.
Read the full story here
Iceland volcano could erupt like a ‘can of fizzy drink’
Magma 'very close' to surface, Met Office says
Sunday 19 November 2023 04:00 , Vishwam Sankaran
The magma intrusion continues to deepen and widen, indicating it has reached high up in the earth’s crust, according to Kristín Jónsdóttir, the head of the volcanic activity department at the Icelandic Met Office.
“While model calculations still indicate that magma flows into the intrusion, it must be considered probable that an eruption will occur,” the seismologist said, according to local news.
The greatest widening is in an area west of Hagafell, which is the most likely place for an eruption, according to the Met Office.
Iceland volcano eruption warning forces residents in Grindavik to evacuate
Sunday 19 November 2023 03:30 , Vishwam Sankaran
Iceland volcano eruption warning forces residents in Grindavik to evacuate
Could an Icelandic volcano ground flights like in 2010?
Sunday 19 November 2023 03:00 , Holly Evans
As I write, the Reykjanes peninsula, southwest of Reykjavik, is seething with seismic activity. Grindavik, a town of nearly 4,000 inhabitants, was evacuated on Saturday as experts assess the threat of a volcanic eruption. Iceland’s main international airport, Keflavik, is just 10 miles north of the town. Yet flights are operating normally, which some may find surprising.
Read the full article from Simon Calder here
Could an Icelandic volcano ground flights like in 2010?
Where is Grindavik?
Sunday 19 November 2023 02:00 , Holly Evans
Grindavik, a town of 3,400, sits on the Reykjanes Peninsula, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) southwest of the capital, Reykjavik and not far from Keflavik Airport, Iceland’s main facility for international flights.
The nearby Blue Lagoon geothermal resort, one of Iceland’s top tourist attractions, has been shut at least until the end of November because of the volcano danger. Grindavik residents are being allowed to return for five minutes each to rescue valuable possessions and pets.
A volcanic system on the Reykjanes Peninsula has erupted three times since 2021, after being dormant for 800 years. Previous eruptions occurred in remote valleys without causing damage.
Iceland sits above a volcanic hot spot in the North Atlantic and 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 grounded flights across Europe for days because of fears ash could damage airplane engines.
‘Significant likelihood’ eruption will occur somewhere along magma tunnel
Sunday 19 November 2023 01:00 , Holly Evans
People in southwest Iceland remained on edge Saturday, waiting to see whether a volcano rumbling under the Reykjanes Peninsula will erupt.
Civil protection authorities said that even if it doesn’t, it’s likely to be months before it is safe for residents evacuated from the danger zone to go home. The fishing town of Grindavik was evacuated a week ago as magma - semi-molten rock - rumbled and snaked under the earth amid thousands of tremors.
It has left a jagged crack running through the community, thrusting the ground upward by 1 meter (3 feet) or more in places. The Icelandic Meteorological Office said there is a “significant likelihood” that an eruption will occur somewhere along the 15-kilometer (9-mile) magma tunnel, with the “prime location” an area north of Grindavik near the Hagafell mountain.
‘It’s like a dystopian movie’: Iceland residents describe ‘apocalyptic’ scenes as they flee volcano threat
Sunday 19 November 2023 00:01 , Athena Stavrou
Residents from a small Icelandic town under threat from volcanic eruption have described ‘apocalyptic’ existence as they fear for their future.
Last Friday, thousands of Grindavik residents were ordered to leave as the town was rocked by hundreds of earthquakes. The small fishing town is 34 miles from Reykjavík and is home to the famous tourist attraction the Blue Lagoon.
Many have been unable to return to the ‘danger zone’ to collect their belongings, as earthquakes continue to strike the town.
Iceland residents describe ‘apocalyptic’ scenes as they flee volcano threat
Iceland’s famous Blue Lagoon to remain shut till 30 November
Saturday 18 November 2023 23:00 , Athena Stavrou
Iceland’s famous Blue Lagoon spa will remain shut till 30 November amid fears of an imminent volcanic eruption.
The geothermal spa southwest of Reykjavik, which is one of the island’s most popular tourist destinations, was closed on 9 November following a series of earthquakes that hit the region.
“Considering disruptions to our guests’ experience and the sustained pressure on our employees, these precautionary measures were taken to ensure safety and wellbeing for all,” it said in a statement.
“The closure will remain in effect until 7am on November 30, at which point the situation will be reassessed,” it added.
Iceland faces ‘decades’ of instability, experts warn
Saturday 18 November 2023 22:00 , Athena Stavrou
Iceland’s south-western peninsula could face decades of volcanic instability, the Icelandic Met Office warned.
“We expect to see volcanic eruptions along the peninsula, not just repeatedly in the same location. This instability could last decades,” the Icelandic Met Office’s Matthew Roberts told the BBC on Thursday
It comes as almost 4,000 people were evacuated from Grindavik over the weekend as authorities feared that molten rock would rise to the surface of the earth.
Pictures: Iceland battered by wave of seismic activity
Saturday 18 November 2023 21:00 , Athena Stavrou
Iceland earthquakes: Are flights still running amid fears of volcano eruption?
Saturday 18 November 2023 20:00 , Athena Stavrou
Iceland has declared a state of emergency after hundreds of earthquakes struck the southwestern Reykjanes peninsula in the past 48 hours.
Despite fears of an impending volcanic eruption, flights from the UK to Keflavik international airport 10 miles north of the eruption site are going ahead as usual.
On Sunday 12 November, all scheduled flights from Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Stansted and Manchester landed without incident.
Iceland earthquakes: Are flights still running amid fears over volcano eruption?
Could an Icelandic volcano ground flights like in 2010?
Saturday 18 November 2023 19:00 , Athena Stavrou
Simon Calder answers your questions on aviation, the land of ice and fire, and birthday in Albania.
Could an Icelandic volcano ground flights like in 2010?
Grindavik couple fear losing their home after evacuating: ‘It’s a pretty grim situation’
Saturday 18 November 2023 18:00 , Athena Stavrou
A man who evacuated from a town in Iceland after earthquakes put the region on alert for a volcanic eruption said he fears he might never see his home again.
Caitlin McLean, from Scotland, was visiting her boyfriend, Gisli Gunnarsson, in Grindavik when they were forced to flee his home at midnight on Friday, packing only a few essential items, to stay with Mr Gunnarsson’s mother in Reykjavik.
Police evacuated Grindavik after seismic activity in the area moved south towards the town, with a corridor of magma, or semi-molten rock, now thought to be extending under the community, Iceland’s Meteorological Office said.
Today, authorities warned residents that it may be months before they are allowed back into their homes.
1,700 earthquakes in last 24 hours
Saturday 18 November 2023 17:04 , Athena Stavrou
There have been 1,700 earthquakes in Iceland in the last 24 hours, according to the Met Office.
1,000 of them have been recorded since midnight and the largest earthquake in those 24 hours had a magnitude of 2.8 and occurred near Hagafell, 3.5 km NNE of Grindavík.
Seismic activity remains “high and constant” and the Icelandic Met Office have named Hagafell as the likely site of an eruption - which is still a high likelihood of happening.
Recap: Iceland volcano eruption warning forces residents to evacuate
Saturday 18 November 2023 15:38 , Athena Stavrou
Residents of a fishing town in south-western Iceland have left their homes after fears of a volcanic eruption caused civil defence authorities to declare a state of emergency in the region.
Police decided to evacuate Grindavik after recent seismic activity in the area moved south towards the town and monitoring indicated that a corridor of magma, or semi-molten rock, now extends under the community, Iceland’s meteorological office said.
Today, authorities said it may be months before residents can return to their homes - even if an eruption doesn’t occur.
Iceland volcano eruption warning forces residents in Grindavik to evacuate
