A volcano is erupting in Iceland — the magma has created a crack in the ground several kilometers long

A volcano is erupting on the Reykjanes peninsula in Iceland, located not far from the capital Reykjavik. Air traffic has not yet been suspended, vacationers at a local spa resort have been evacuated.

This is reported by Reuters and the National Radio of Iceland.

Yellow-hot lava rose into the sky on the night of November 21. The first signs of an eruption were noticed just 45 minutes before the magma, breaking through the earthʼs crust, created a crack in the ground about 3 kilometers long, the countryʼs meteorological service said.

Earlier, local authorities warned about volcanic activity. Magma accumulated under the peninsula, where the last eruption ended only on September 6 of the same year. However, no abnormal seismic activity was recorded then.

The natural phenomenon in Reykjanes has not yet affected the capital, and the ash has not dispersed in the stratosphere. Therefore, flights have not been canceled yet. However, the Blue Lagoon mineral lake resort on the peninsula has evacuated guests and closed, Icelandʼs broadcaster reported.

Nearby is the fishing town of Grindavik. Before the evacuation order in December 2023, about 4 thousand people lived there. However, now the settlement is practically deserted due to the risk of repeated eruptions. There is currently no sign of hot lava flowing in the direction of Grindavik.

The Reykjanes Peninsula eruption in November 2024 is the tenth since 2021. Scientists assume that the territory is entering a new volcanic era lasting from tens to hundreds of years.

• This year, the volcano in Iceland has already erupted several times — in particular, in August, May, and March. At the beginning of February, a significant increase in seismic activity was recorded on the peninsula, and then there was also an eruption. Before that, the next eruption of the volcano in Icelandʼs Reykjanes began on January 14. Residents of the town of Grindavik managed to be evacuated in advance. Immediately after the eruption began, they tried to build protective dams to divert the lava away from Grindavik, but one of the flows did reach the town and set several houses on fire.

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