A volcano erupted for the first time in 6,000 years in Iceland

A small volcanic eruption continued this Saturday in Iceland around 40 kilometers from the capital Reykjavik, with no other consequence than to provoke, for the first time in 6000 years, a river of lava and glowing red magma.

Fagradalsfjall mountain volcano had been dormant for 6,000 years, Y the Reykjanes peninsula had not seen a volcano erupt for 781 years.

After intense seismic activity for three weeks and an eruption alert, a torrent of lava erupted at 8:45 p.m. on Friday. of a crack in the ground in Geldingadalur, near Fagradalsfjall mountain, lighting up the night with a red cloud.

In spectacular video footage recorded this Saturday by a Coast Guard helicopter, lava was seen flowing, which covers a little less than 1 km2 of surfaceas well as blue gas vents at the eruption site.

“The rash is small and activity has declined slightly since Friday evening. It is limited to a small area in the valley and is unlikely to cause any damageThe latest statement from the Meteorological Service (IMO) of Iceland said, half-day Saturday.

The Krysuvik volcanic system, which does not have a main crater, is located south of Fagradalsfjall Mountain on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwest Iceland. The eruption site is about 5 kilometers inland.

Close windows

The police and the coast guard were sent to the scene but the population was advised not to approach. Icelandic Keflavik International Airport and the small fishing port of Grindavik are only a few kilometers away, but the area is uninhabited and the rash should not pose a danger.

For the time being, authorities did not report ash had fallen, but fragments of tephra (solidified magma) and gas emissions could occur.

Police advise residents east of the volcano to close the windows and stay at home due to the risk of gas contamination. For the moment, traffic has been able to continue at Keflavik airport.

Volcanoes’ gas emissions, particularly sulfur dioxide, can be high in the vicinity of an eruption and be a health hazard or even death.

At a distance, pollution can exceed acceptable limits, depending on the wind. The gas “can cause problems and have adverse health effects“Warned the Icelandic Environment Agency.

Volcanic eruptions in the region are effusive, meaning most lava flows down to the ground, as opposed to explosives that throw clouds of ash into the sky.

The Krysuvik volcanic system has been dormant for 900 years, according to the Met Office, and the last eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula dates back almost 800 years, to 1240.

Extreme vigilance

The area has been under increased surveillance for weeks as on February 24, there was an earthquake of magnitude 5.7 near Mount Keilir on the outskirts of Reykjavik.

This earthquake was followed by a unusual number of tremors less strong: more than 50,000, the most since digital recordings began in 1991.

Since then, seismic activity has shifted several kilometers to the southwest, concentrating around Fagradalsfjall Mountain, where magma has been detected just one kilometer below the earth’s surface in recent days.

Iceland has 32 volcanoes currently considered active, the highest number in Europe.. The country has experienced an eruption every five years on average.

This large island near the Arctic Circle straddles the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a fissure in the ocean floor that separates the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates.

The displacement of these plates is partly responsible for the intense volcanic activity in Iceland.

The most recent eruption occurred in Holuhraun (started in August 2014 and ended in February 2015), in the Bardarbunga volcanic system, in an uninhabited area in the center of the island.

This eruption did not cause any major problems, beyond those caused to the nearest towns.

But in 2010, an eruption on Eyjafjallajokull volcano released huge clouds of smoke and ash into the atmosphere, disrupting air traffic for more than a week, with the cancellation of more than 100,000 flights in the world that left around 10 million passengers stranded for days. .

(With information from AFP)

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