A long-dormant volcano erupted on Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula on Friday, shooting a lava fountain illuminating the night sky about 30 kilometers southwest of the country’s capital, the Icelandic Meteorological Bureau. reported FridayThe eruption, estimated to be the peninsula’s first in nearly 800 years, follows weeks of increased seismic activity in the region.
“The eruption is considered small at this stage and the eruption crack is approx. 500 m [546 yards] long. The magma area is app. 1km2. [0.4 square miles], ”Said the IMO a tweet“Lava fountains are small.”
The agency later tweeted a video of the aftermath of the eruption, taken from a Coast Guard helicopter, which you can watch in all its terrifying glory below.
The eruption took place near Mount Fagradalsfjall and started around 4:45 p.m. ET on Friday, blowing lava up to 100 meters into the air, Bjarki Friis of the Icelandic Meteorological Bureau said. ReutersThe IMO seen for the first time the eruption with a webcam he installed close to the mountain, which he then confirmed via thermal satellite images. Hours later, the agency said the lava appeared to be flowing “ slowly southwest and west. ” The glow of the lava could be seen from the outskirts of Iceland’s capital, Reykjavík.
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While local authorities said they didn’t believe the eruption poses an immediate threat to nearby towns, they do advised residents to close their windows and stay indoors to avoid inhaling volcanic gas coming out of the crack. The Icelandic police too people urged to stay away from the eruption site for now, as first responders continue to assess the situation.
More than 40,000 earthquakes have hit the region in the past four weeks, Reuters reports. The peninsula has experienced roughly 400 earthquakes on Thursday morning alone, and several low-frequency earthquakes below Fagradalsfjall were recorded earlier in the day on Friday, according to the IMO.
Iceland is one of the most volcanic nations in the worldAbout 30 of the approximately 130 volcanoes remain active. T.he The Reykjanes peninsula has remained relatively quiet since then sputter on and off in a series of major eruptions between the 10th and 13th centuries, but scientists began to brace themselves for possible eruptions after the pace of earthquakes have increased sharply in 2019.