The island nation has experienced increased seismic activity in the past month. Authorities warn that its Grimsvotn volcano, Iceland's most active, could erupt soon.
Advertisement
Iceland's meteorological service IMO said Monday that 3,000 tremors had been registered on the northern coast of the country.
Three quakes measuring over magnitude 5 were recorded in recent days, with one of them being felt in the capital Reykjavik, located some 265 kilometers (165 miles) away from the epicenter.
The quake's epicenter was located 20 kilometers from a small village of 1,200 people, and several dozen kilometers from Akureyri, the second-largest city in Iceland with a population of nearly 20,000.
"Compared to previous earthquake swarms in the area it is expected that this swarm will continue during the coming days," the government institution said. "But in most cases activity like this ends without a larger event," it added.
No major injuries or damage were reported from the tremors, but some landslides and rockfalls have been observed in the area.
The cluster of earthquakes comes as authorities have warned this month that Grimsvotn, the country's most active volcano, could erupt soon, as scientists have recorded high levels of sulfur dioxide, indicating the presence of so-called shallow magma.
Grimsvotn is located on the northwestern side of the Vatnajokull ice cap and had its last eruption in 2011, which led to the temporary closure of Reykjavik's Keflavik airport and the cancellation of some 900 flights in Europe.
IMO said that the risk during an eruption is related to flooding caused by melting ice. "The possibility of an eruption triggered by a glacial flood, which could occur in the coming weeks or months, has to be considered," the institute said.
Iceland sits on the boundary of the North American Plate and the Eurasian plate, with the Mid-Atlantic Ridge running through the middle and propping up a series of moving tectonic and volcanic zones.
The last eruption of Grimsvotn was preceded by the 2010 eruption of southern Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull, which caused a huge cloud of smoke and ash that left more than 100,000 flights canceled and 8 million passengers stranded.
Scientists have said that the effects of a possible Grimsvotn eruption would be less dramatic than that of Eyjafjallajokull.
jcg/stb (AFP, dpa)
Iceland suspends whaling again in summer
Strict coronavirus regulations and sales problems in Japan have made whale hunting unprofitable, the industry says. One of the two companies still active in Iceland wants to withdraw from whaling for good.
Image: picture-alliance/WILDLIFE
Lack of profit, not animal welfare
Because the no-fishing zone in Iceland has been extended, the boats would have to go too far out to sea to hunt minke whales, whalers say. In addition, they say, the strict coronavirus regulations have made processing whale meat almost impossible. They also complain that Japan has closed its market by subsidizing domestic whalers and imposing very strict guidelines on foreign imports.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/G.P. Gudjonsson
Threatened with extinction
After an interruption of several years, Iceland resumed "scientific whaling" in 2003, and commercial whaling restarted as well in 2006. In Icelandic waters, minke whales and the endangered fin whales are the most common species. In 2018, 146 fin whales and six minke whales were hunted and killed off Iceland's coast.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/G.P. Gudjonsson
Lonely wanderer
The fin whale is the closest relative of the blue whale and lives in all the world's oceans. It avoids coastal regions. Most of the time, fin whales travel alone, but sometimes they live in relatively small groups. For mating and the birth of their young, they migrate to subtropical waters during the winter months. In summer, they move back to the colder regions of the Arctic and Antarctic.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/VW Pics
Powerful deep-sea diver
The fin whale swims faster and dives deeper than most other whales. It can reach a speed of almost 50 kph (31 mph) and regularly dives more than 200 meters (656 feet) deep. It can stay under water for about 15 minutes. The fin whale consumes up to two tonnes (2.2 US tons) of food — mostly krill — per day. The animals can grow up to 30 meters (98 feet) long and weigh 70 tonnes.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/AGAMI/H. Harrop
Research as an excuse?
Commercial whaling exists only in Iceland, Norway and, since 2018, again in Japan. For 30 years, Japan had officially hunted for scientific purposes only. However, a special permit from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) allowed Japan to sell the meat of killed animals for human consumption after they had been studied. Currently, the country's annual catch quota is 383 animals.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/T. Watters
Luxurious delicacy
With the resumption of whaling in Japan, the demand for this expensive delicacy has also increased again. But for a long time, younger Japanese in particular were not interested in whale meat. The best pieces are processed into sashimi and eaten raw. One kilogram (2.2 pounds) costs the equivalent of up to €300 ($327).
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Kyodo
Powerful whaling lobby
Japan often refers to its long whaling tradition. At present, however, there is only one company involved in offshore whaling activities. Kyodo Senpaku Co. from Tokyo earns around €12.8 million ($14 million) annually from whaling. It hunts sei whales, Bryde's whales and minke whales, among others.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Kyodo
Easy prey
Minke whales or lesser rorquals grow to about 10.6 meters (35 feet) in length and are found in the North Atlantic and North Pacific. Because of their small size and trusting nature, they are easy to hunt. Unlike other rorquals, minke whales are curious and approach ships. The worldwide population is estimated at over 300,000 animals. Minke whales are thus not classified as an endangered species.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Undisturbed joy of life
Minke whales are fast swimmers that can jump out of the water and dive for at least 15 minutes. They often live in fairly small groups. Males, females and different age groups migrate separately. In general, males migrate further north and prefer the open sea, while females prefer coastal waters and tend to stay in the south.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/K. Langenberger
Worldwide protest
Commercial whaling has already caused whale stocks to shrink dramatically. Many species were or are threatened with extinction. Environmental pollution and climate change are causing additional problems for these sensitive marine mammals. This picture shows animal welfare activists trying to stop a container ship that wants to transport whale meat to Japan.