Iceland: Reykjanes volcano erupts, cuts off hot water
February 8, 2024
Lava fountains from the eruption reached 50 to 80 meters high in some areas, and the volcanic plume rose about three kilometers above the fissure in the Reykjanes peninsula.
The crack in the earth's surface that spewed lava was estimated to be 3 kilometers longImage: Thea Trubenbacher/SuperStock/IMAGO
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A volcano on the Reykjanes peninsula in southwestern Iceland erupted Thursday for the third time since December, spewing lava streams up to 80 meters (260 feet) into the air.
Video footage of the crack in the earth's surface, estimated to be 3 kilometers (2 miles) long, showed the fissure illuminating a plume of smoke rising into the dark morning sky that could be seen 40 kilometers (25 miles) away in the capital, Reykjavik.
Bright orange molten rock spewed from fissures in the ground on the Reykjanes peninsula, and lava crossed a road near the Blue Lagoon, a luxury geothermal spa, which had to be closed because of the eruption.
Molten lava flooded the road leading to the famous Blue Lagoon tourist attraction near GrindavikImage: Kristinn Magnusson/AFP
Eruption cuts off hot water
Iceland's Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management declared a state of emergency after lava flowed over a pipe carrying geothermal water used to heat homes in the area, causing the pipe to burst.
Rikke Pedersen, who heads the research group at the Nordic Volcanological Center in Reykjavik, said more than 20,000 people had lost access to hot water. Reykjavik's Keflavik Airport also lost access to hot water, but said it was otherwise operating as usual.
The civil protection authority urged people in the affected area to use only one small electric heater per household to avoid power outages. Restoring hot water through an emergency pipeline already under construction could take days, it said.
An arial view of a volcano spewing lava and smoke on Reykjanes PeninsulaImage: Iceland Civil Protection/REUTERS
New era of seismic activity
Iceland is home to 33 active volcanic systems, the highest number in Europe. It straddles the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a crack in the ocean floor that separates the Eurasian tectonic plate from the North American tectonic plate.
But until March 2021, the Reykjanes peninsula had not experienced an eruption in eight centuries.
The last eruption in the area began on January 14 and lasted about two days. Lava flows reached the outskirts of the fishing town of Grindavik, where nearly 4,000 residents were evacuated and some homes were set on fire.
Iceland: Volcanic eruption reaches Grindavik village
More eruptions have occurred in Iceland's most populated region. Nearby residents have been evacuated. Some locals fear a new age of volcanic activity. The area has historically only seen eruptions every 800 years or so.
Image: Iceland Civil Protection/REUTERS
A new volcanic era in Iceland
A few weeks after the latest volcanic eruptions in Iceland, the meteorological authority reported another eruption north of the fishing town of Grindavik, with a population of about 3,500. The village is located roughly 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of Iceland's capital, Reykjavik. Residents had already been evacuated during the night and were not in danger.
Image: HALLDOR KOLBEINS/AFP/Getty Images
Eruption only just starting
A series of about 200 small earthquakes that began at 3 a.m. on January 15 were forerunners to the eruption. Rescue workers erected earth walls to protect the village from damage. "It is not yet possible to estimate how the eruption will develop," the geophysicist Magnus Tumi Gudmundsson, who advises civil defense here, told media.
Image: HALLDOR KOLBEINS/AFP/Getty Images
Up in flames
Despite efforts to protect Grindavik, a volcanic fissure opened up nearer the town and the lava flow from it reached buildings. Several houses went up in flames. Previously, most of Iceland's volcanoes had erupted in more remote areas. About two-thirds of the country's population lives on the Reykjanes Peninsula, where these eruptions are happening.
Image: HALLDOR KOLBEINS/AFP/Getty Images
'Volcano tourism'
Authorities warned about approaching the volcanic area. Iceland has more than 30 active volcanoes, which makes it a prime destination for "volcano tourism." In 2021, 2022 and the summer of 2023, active eruptions became major tourist attractions, bringing in almost 680,000 visitors, the Icelandic Tourist Board has said.
Image: SERGEI GAPON/AFP/Getty Images
Volcanic activity every eight centuries on average
The Reykjanes Peninsula, where Grindavik is located, is well known for volcanic activity. Rifting and eruptions occur at average intervals of 800-1,000 years, authorities say. These alternate with periods of earthquakes every few decades. Counting the current one, the Reykjanes region has had five eruptions in the past three years.
Image: Snorri Thor/NurPhoto/picture alliance
Ongoing evacuations from Grindavik
Experts believe that the active fissure that erupted Monday morning has likely grown up to a kilometer long. Residents of Grindavik were also evacuated in November and then again in December. Many fear that they may never be able to return to their homes.
Lava made its way through some of the barriers that civil defense workers had built, but barriers installed to protect a nearby power plant that produces hot water for the entire peninsula did manage to hold back the lava. Lava also came closer to the Blue Lagoon, a spa that is one of Iceland's most popular tourist spots. Neither of the locations is in any danger, authorities say.
