Smoke clouds and lava as volcano erupts near Icelandic capital
A volcano has erupted about 19 miles (30km) from Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, the country’s meteorological office has said, marking the third time in two years that lava has gushed out in the area, The Guardian reports.
“The eruption is taking place in a small depression just north of Litli Hrútur, from which smoke is escaping in a north-westerly direction,” the office said.
Local media footage showed a massive cloud of smoke rising from the ground as well as a substantial flow of lava.
The smoke could be seen from the road connecting the capital to the international airport, with cars pulled over and people taking pictures.
Thousands of small earthquakes had been recorded in the area in the week leading up to the eruption, signalling that the magma below the ground was moving and an eruption was imminent.
The Icelandic authorities advised against going to the site before they had assessed the situation.
The magma broke through the ground at about 16:40 GMT, just a few kilometres from two previous eruptions in the past two years.
The first was on 19 March 2021 in the Geldingadalur valley and lasted six months; the second occurred on 3 August 2022 in the Meradalir valley, lasting three weeks.
Prior to the 2021 eruption, the region had remained dormant for eight centuries, but volcanologists believe the new cycle of increased activity could last several years.
The effusive eruptions in the area so far have not been very dangerous, nor have they had any impact on air traffic.
The 2021 and 2022 eruptions attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors wanting to catch a rare glimpse of an active volcano.
