Lava continues to spew out of a fissure volcano in south-west Iceland, more than a week after it first erupted.
The volcano had sat quiet for almost two months before a fissure burst open on the Reykjanes Peninsula for the seventh time this year.
A satellite image published by NASA’s Earth Observatory earlier this week showed the extent of the lava flow, which spilled over roads and encircled the Blue Lagoon, one of the island’s most popular tourist attractions.
Lava from the eruption was seen snaking west toward the Blue Lagoon. (Supplied: NASA Earth Observatory: Michala Garrison)
The lava’s approach forced officials to temporarily close the Blue Lagoon to the public until at least December 4.
While there was no indication the flow would extend to the nearby town of Grindavík, the civil protection agency said about 50 houses were evacuated as a precaution.
The 3-kilometre-wide fissure vent is about 40 kilometres from Iceland’s capital city, Reykjavik.
According to the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO), an earthquake swarm that occurred late November 20 first signalled the eruption, which occurred just 45 minutes before the fissure was opened by magma forcing its way to the surface.
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Experts from the Icelandic Institute of Natural History conducted aerial surveys at the eruption site on Thursday.
They found the lava field from this eruption covered 9.1 square kilometres and was estimated to be about 47 million cubic metres.
“This eruption, which began nine days ago, is now the second largest by volume among eruptions at the Sundhnúkur Crater Row since December 2023,” the IMO said.
Molten lava cut off nearby roads. (AP: Marco di Marco)
The geological system reactivated in the area in 2021 after lying dormant for 800 years.
This eruption marks the volcano’s 10th in three years — a particularly active period for the island nation.
Sitting above a volcanic hotspot in the North Atlantic, Iceland averages one eruption every four to five years.
Experts say Reykjavik is likely to continue experiencing volcanic outbreaks for decades, or possibly even centuries.
Workers created protective barriers to regulate the flow of the molten lava. (AP: Marco di Marco)
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