A volcanic eruption has begun near Iceland’s capital following days of seismic activity, with travelers likely to be spared any disruption.
(Bloomberg) — A volcanic eruption has begun near Iceland’s capital following days of seismic activity, with travelers likely to be spared any disruption.
Lava is emerging from ruptures that are estimated to be about 200 meters (660 feet) long, the Met Office said on Monday. The eruption “does not seem very powerful” but is generating smoke consisting mostly of steam, Benedikt Ofeigsson, a geophysicist at the site, said by phone.
The uninhabited area, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, has in recent days been rocked by more than 1,200 earthquakes. Magma is visible around 19 miles (30 kilometers) from the country’s capital, near the spot where previous eruptions happened in 2021 and 2022 for the first time in about 800 years in that area.
The island nation, which calls itself the land of fire and ice, has 30 volcanic systems and more than 600 hot springs. It is one of the most geologically active places on earth due to its position on the mid-Atlantic ridge where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet.
One of the most disruptive volcanic eruptions in Iceland’s recent history occurred in 2010, when Eyjafjallajokull in the southern part of the country erupted in an explosion that released a plume of ash so vast that it grounded air traffic across Europe for weeks, resulting in the cancellation of 100,000 flights and affecting over 10 million people.
The eruption that started on Monday in Reykjanes is “effusive and will remain that way,” said Ofeigsson. “It’s not an explosive ash eruption and it’s very unlikely it will become explosive.”
The main airport, Keflavik, said there are no disruptions to arrivals or departures, according to its website. A spokesman for airport operator Isavia said that no impact is expected on aviation and that a flight ban only covers the eruption zone.
Tourism is one of Iceland’s main industries, and businesses use lava flows to attract travelers. Airlines tend to use captivating images of lava streams and local guides market hikes to active areas. In the past, some have even fried hot dogs and marshmallows on the magma.
It’s possible that volcanic activity on the peninsula takes years or decades to conclude, according to the Met Office.
(Updates with lack of expected travel impact from first paragraph.)
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