Volcanic Eruption Begins in Iceland

A volcanic eruption has begun near Iceland’s capital following days of seismic activity, the Met Office said on Monday.

Lava is emerging from ruptures that are estimated to be at least 500 meters (1,600 feet) long, Benedikt Ofeigsson, geophysicist at the Met Office, said by phone. The eruption “does not seem very powerful” but is generating visible steam, he said.

The uninhabited area, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, is near the spot of previous eruptions in 2021 and 2022, around 19 miles (30 kilometers) from the country’s capital.

Iceland, which has 30 volcanic systems and more than 600 hot springs, 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 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. 

It’s possible that volcanic activity on the peninsula takes years or decades to conclude, according to Iceland’s Met Office.