A Volcano May Erupt in Iceland. Here’s What to Know for Now.

Iceland is bracing for a attainable volcanic eruption.

Since late October, tens of 1000’s of earthquakes have been reported within the Reykjanes Peninsula, within the southwestern a part of the nation. At one level there have been as many as 1,400 in a single 24-hour interval.

On Tuesday, the Icelandic Met Workplace, the nation’s climate service, warned that there was a “important chance of a volcanic eruption within the coming days.”

The elevated seismic exercise and the formation of a nine-mile underground river of magma have led the authorities in latest days to declare a state of emergency and to evacuate the small fishing city of Grindavik, the place greater than 3,000 folks stay.

It’s laborious to foretell, however the authorities say it could occur within the subsequent few days.

They stated that the depth of the seismic exercise had decreased a bit, however they’ve continued to warn for a attainable eruption. The seismic exercise alongside the underground magma continues.

There’s a lengthy historical past of volcanic exercise in Iceland, a rustic of fewer than 400,000 folks and about 130 volcanoes. A lot of the volcanoes are lively.

The nation straddles two tectonic plates, that are themselves divided by an undersea mountain chain that oozes molten sizzling rock, or magma. Earthquakes happen when the magma pushes by the plates.

An eruption is unlikely to disrupt air journey this time.

In 2010, when the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, one of many nation’s largest, erupted, a ensuing ash cloud grounded a lot of the air journey in Europe and disrupted aviation for days.

It’s unlikely this eruption will trigger fairly the identical degree of disruption, Iceland’s authorities has stated.

“Whereas the potential for air site visitors disturbance can’t be fully dominated out, scientists contemplate it an unlikely situation,” the federal government stated on its web site. “Usually, the affect of volcanic eruptions is confined to particular, localized areas.” Up to now, it continued, eruptions in the identical space didn’t have an effect on flights to and from Iceland.

“At present, there aren’t any disruptions to flights to and from Iceland and worldwide flight corridors stay open,” the federal government stated.

The place can I discover updates?

Iceland is a tourism-friendly place with a dramatic panorama and engaging airline offers to attract guests. One web site livestreams a number of areas of the nation, particularly volcanic areas. (Watch what’s happening within the Reykjanes Peninsula.)

Officers proceed to watch any exercise in actual time, in line with the Icelandic Met Workplace, particularly close to Grindavik for any indications of sudden modifications.