Iceland earthquakes – reside: Blue Lagoon closed as eruption anticipated ‘inside hours’ and Grindavik evacuated

Iceland is experiencing a seismic swarm as 1,485 earthquakes have hit the nation in simply 48 hours prompting fears of a volcanic eruption.

Most tremours have been felt within the Reykjanes peninsula within the southwest of the nation the place small earthquakes have been felt on daily basis for greater than two weeks resulting from a build-up of volcanic magma three miles underground.

The UK overseas workplace has up to date its journey recommendation, warning {that a} volcanic eruption is more and more probably.

Iceland is extremely suceptible to natrual disasters because it lies on the Mid Atlantic Ridge – a divergent plate boundary the place the North American Plate and the Eurasian Plate are shifting away from one another, resulting in volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

The Reykjanes area has in recent times seen a number of eruptions in unpopulated areas, however the present outbreak is believed to pose an instantaneous threat to the city, authorities mentioned.

On Thursday, elevated seismic exercise prompted the closure of the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, one of many nation’s predominant vacationer sights.

Reykjanes is a volcanic and seismic sizzling spot southwest of the capital Reykjavik. In March 2021, lava fountains erupted spectacularly from a fissure within the floor measuring between 500 750 metres lengthy within the area’s Fagradalsfjall volcanic system.

Volcanic exercise within the space continued for six months that yr, prompting hundreds of Icelanders and vacationers to go to the scene. In August 2022, a three-week eruption occurred in the identical space, adopted by one other in July of this yr.

The Fagradalsfjall system, which is round 6 km large and 19 km lengthy, had remained inactive for greater than 6,000 years previous to the latest eruptions.

The famend vacationer response will stay closed till November 16 after the realm was struck by a collection of earthquakes.

A instructor from Grindavik has documented his evacuation journey on X.

3,000 folks have vacated the southeastern city as the specter of volcanic eruptions looms over the nation after a whole bunch of earthquakes rocked the bottom over the previous 48 hours.

Hjorvar Ingi a pc science instructor from Iceland mentioned: “The city has been utterly evacuated, not a soul left in it. Earthquakes each minute and roads torn aside. They’ve confirmed there’s a magma channel proper underneath the city. So many emotions now, however a minimum of the entire household is protected now.”

He additionally shared {a photograph} displaying how the quakes had distorted the bottom.

After a a professor of volcanology warned the eruption may come inside ‘hours or days, the Icelandic Met Workplace warn that an explosion may come quickly.

The Icelandic Met Workplace shared on X: “The speed of floor deformation is far larger than has been measured beforehand on the Reykjanes Peninsula. Round 800 earthquakes have been detected since midnight. The chance of a volcanic eruption occurring within the close to future is deemed appreciable.”

“I don’t suppose it’s lengthy earlier than an eruption, hours or a number of days. The possibility of an eruption has elevated considerably,” Thorvaldur Thordarson, professor of volcanology on the College of Iceland, advised state broadcaster RUV.

Floor deformation measurements present an necessary indicator about what is going on beneath a volcano. As magma accumulates in an underground reservoir earlier than an eruption, the bottom floor sometimes swells, says the USA Geological Survey.

The Icelandic Crimson Cross has launched a group to help the Crimson Cross’s emergency response as a result of earthquakes at Grindavík

You may donate to the response right here as 3,000 are evacuated from Grindavik.

Iceland is experiencing a seismic swarm as 1,485 earthquakes have hit the nation in simply 48 hours prompting fears of a volcanic eruption.

Most tremours have been felt within the Reykjanes peninsula within the southwest of the nation the place small earthquakes have been felt on daily basis for greater than two weeks resulting from a build-up of volcanic magma three miles underground.

The UK overseas workplace has up to date its journey recommendation, warning {that a} volcanic eruption is more and more probably.

Its official warning reads: “Earthquakes and indications of volcanic exercise have elevated above regular ranges on the Reykjanes peninsula, southwest of Reykjavik.

Iceland is experiencing a seismic swarm as 1,485 earthquakes have hit the nation in simply 48 hours prompting fears of a volcanic eruption.

Most tremours have been felt within the Reykjanes peninsula within the southwest of the nation the place small earthquakes have been felt on daily basis for greater than two weeks resulting from a build-up of volcanic magma three miles underground.

The UK overseas workplace has up to date its journey recommendation, warning {that a} volcanic eruption is more and more probably.

The city of Grindavík, simply 10 miles south of Keflavik Worldwide Airport, has been evacuated as a precaution.