Emergency situation - Situation stable after volcanic eruption in Iceland
Following the start of a spectacular volcanic eruption in Iceland, the authorities have completely closed a cleared area in the affected region over the Christmas period. All traffic and stays in Grindavík will be prohibited as long as a risk assessment by the Icelandic Meteorological Office is in force, the region's police announced on Facebook. The Blue Lagoon, a nearby geothermal pool that is particularly popular with Icelandic tourists, will also be closed during this period.
The police 's decision follows a phase in which the natural spectacle appears to have calmed down, at least above ground, after it began on Monday evening. On Wednesday, the glowing red lava initially only came to the surface in isolated places in a snow-covered area, as live recordings from radio station RÚV showed. In the midday hours, it was possible to see, among other things, how the lava shot upwards from a kind of small crater.
The eruption could soon subside
The situation appeared much more relaxed than at the beginning of the eruption, which had been expected for weeks. The lava had initially formed a veritable wall of fire that gushed out of an estimated four-kilometer-long fissure in the earth. Only a third of this fissure is currently still active, RÚV reported. The activity is stable. However, poor visibility due to snowfall impaired the assessment of the situation.
Volcanologist Thorvaldur Thórdarson said that the eruption had slowed down and could subside in the coming days - possibly even before the weekend. The number of earthquakes in the region also decreased noticeably: after the eruption was accompanied by hundreds of tremors on Tuesday night - including two with a magnitude of over 4.0 - there were only a few isolated tremors on Wednesday, according to data from the weather office.
However, this does not mean that the danger is over. The weather bureau warned that new vents could suddenly open. The authority also issued a hazard assessment map, on which the risk for Grindavík and its surroundings was assessed as high - even though the lava has not yet flowed towards the coastal town, which lies almost 40 kilometers southwest of Reykjavik. The assessment is provisionally valid until December 28, which is also the date of the police ban on staying in Grindavík. The town, which has a population of just under 4,000, was already evacuated in November, but residents were recently allowed to return to their homes, at least during the day.
Warning for onlookers
The police also asked volcano enthusiasts to think twice about whether they really wanted to take on the strenuous 18 to 20 kilometer hike into the area in the current weather conditions. Christmas is just around the corner and they want rescue workers to be able to stay at home during the festive season, the authority wrote on Facebook. A spokeswoman for the Civil Protection Authority told RÚV that it would be better to go to a shopping center in Reykjavik to get into the Christmas spirit - or just have a hot chocolate at home - instead of heading to the eruption.
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- Despite the decrease in earthquakes and the supposed slowdown of the volcanic eruption, the Icelandic Meteorological Office has issued a high hazard assessment for Grindavík, suggesting that new vents could suddenly open.
- Police have prohibited all traffic and stays in Grindavík due to the ongoing emergency situation caused by the volcanic eruption in Iceland, as announced on their Facebook page.
- The Blue Lagoon, a popular geothermal pool in Iceland, has also been closed due to the volcanic activity and its potential impact on the area.
- Lava from the volcanic eruption was initially only seen in isolated places in a snow-covered area on Wednesday, according to live recordings from radio station RÚV.
- Volcano enthusiasts were advised by the police to reconsider their plans to hike towards the eruption site during the cold weather, as the authorities want to keep rescue workers free for family activities during the holiday season.
Source: www.stern.de
