December 18, 2023 On Monday night, a volcanic eruption commenced in Iceland, located south of the capital Reykjavik, according to the Iceland Meteorological Office (IMO). The eruption initiation followed a series of small earthquakes, and the IMO confirmed the event around 22:17 GMT.
The eruption site is reported to be on the Reykjanes peninsula, close to the town of Hagafell, which is situated south of Reykjavik. The IMO stated, “An eruption has started on the Reykjanes peninsula. It can be seen on webcams and seems to be located close to Hagafell.”
To confirm the exact location and size of the eruption, a Coast Guard helicopter was scheduled to take off shortly after the event was detected.
Iceland had been under high alert for a potential volcanic eruption since last month due to intense seismic activity. Thousands of small earthquakes were recorded on the island’s southwestern peninsula, indicating magma movement beneath the Earth’s crust.
The town of Grindavik, approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the capital, saw the evacuation of roughly 4,000 residents on November 11 in response to the heightened seismic activity.
Iceland is known for its high volcanic activity, boasting 33 active volcano systems, the highest number in Europe. The Reykjanes peninsula, where the recent eruption occurred, had not experienced such an event for eight centuries until 2021. The ongoing volcanic activity serves as a reminder of the dynamic geological processes shaping the island’s landscape.
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