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Huge cracks appear on roads in Icelandic town at risk of volcanic eruption
A volcano close to erupting in Iceland could explode like a “can of fizzy drink,” an expert has said.
Iceland’s Met Office has said magmatic gas has been detected at a borehole in Svartsengi, signalling an imminent eruption of the Fagradalsfjall volcano over the coming days, with the town of Grindavik most at risk.
Magma has been building underneath Iceland and Margaret Hartley, a senior lecturer in Earth sciences at the University of Manchester, said an eruption was a case of when, not if.
“I do think an eruption will take place, but the big question is when that might happen,” she told Live Science.
An eruption would take place when an open fracture connecting the magma dike to the Earth’s surface opens up.
“The most likely way to create this fracture is that a pressure build-up of gas bubbles in the dike will force magma towards the surface, breaking the crust apart,” she said.
“The process is a bit like shaking up a can of fizzy drink — as soon as a crack opens in the top of the can, the drink escapes with lots of frothing.”
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‘It’s like a dystopian movie’: Iceland residents describe ‘apocalyptic’ scenes as they flee volcano threat
Residents from a small Icelandic town under threat from a volcanic eruption have described their ‘apocalyptic’ existence as they fear for their future.
Last Friday, thousands of Grindavik residents were ordered to leave as the town was rocked by hundreds of earthquakes. The small fishing town is 34 miles from Reykjavík and is home to the famous tourist attraction the Blue Lagoon.
Matt Mathers17 November 2023 22:30
Watch – Thousands evacuated as fears grow of volcano eruption in Iceland
Thousands evacuated as fears grow of volcano eruption in Iceland
Lydia Patrick17 November 2023 20:30
Iceland volcano could erupt like a ‘can of fizzy drink’
Matt Mathers17 November 2023 20:29
Despite repetitive quakes, Grindavik’s telecommunications are still in tact, say communications companies.
Míla, Iceland’s largest telecommunications company, told RUV that radio signals are currently undamaged.
Daði Sigurðarson, Míla’s technical director told the state broadcaster: “All the telecommunications companies are cooperating. There is extremely good cooperation going on in all operations and it has been for the past week.”
Local residents wait in their cars to get access to their homes in the fishing town of Grindavik, which was evacuated due to volcanic activity, in Iceland
(REUTERS)
Lydia Patrick17 November 2023 19:30
Biggest volcanic eruptions in the last 10 years as Iceland town faces devastation
It comes as the country has been shaken by more than 880 small earthquakes, prompting fears that the tremors could disrupt the Fagradalsfjall volcano on the Reykjanes peninsula in the southwest of the country.
Lydia Patrick17 November 2023 18:30
‘It’s like a dystopian movie’: Iceland residents describe ‘apocalyptic’ scenes as they flee volcano threat
Residents from a small Icelandic town under threat from a volcanic eruption have described their ‘apocalyptic’ existence as they fear for their future.
Last Friday, thousands of Grindavik residents were ordered to leave as the town was rocked by hundreds of earthquakes. The small fishing town is 34 miles from Reykjavík and is home to the famous tourist attraction the Blue Lagoon.
Lydia Patrick17 November 2023 17:21
Why is Iceland susceptible to natural disasters?
Iceland is highly susceptible to natural disasters as it lies on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge – a divergent plate boundary where the North American Plate and the Eurasian Plate are moving away from each other, leading to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.
The quakes surround the southwest of the country
(Vafri.is)
Lydia Patrick17 November 2023 16:30
Where is Grindavik?
Grindavik is a small town which lies on the Reykjanes peninsula in the southwest of the country just 32 miles away from Reykjavik.
It is a fishing town of 3,800 people and residents have described the town as a close knit community where ‘everyone knows everyone’.
(Icelandic Met Office)
Lydia Patrick17 November 2023 16:00
Is it safe to travel to Iceland?
The town of Grindavík, just 10 miles south of Keflavik International Airport, has been evacuated as a precaution.
Lydia Patrick17 November 2023 15:30
Watch – Couple cling to each other during Iceland earthquake
Couple cling to each other during Iceland earthquake
A couple cling to one another as their house shakes violently in an earthquake during a volcanic eruption in Iceland. Caitlin McLean, from Scotland, was visiting her boyfriend, Gisli Gunnarsson, 29, in Grindavik when they were forced to flee his home at midnight on Friday (10 November) as his house shook and locals frantically evacuated the area. Ms McLean, 34, captured the moment the furniture and light fixtures shook violently in Mr Gunnarsson’s home when the volcano erupted. Police evacuated Grindavik after seismic activity in the area moved south towards the town, with a corridor of magma, or semi-molten rock, now thought to be extending under the community, Iceland’s Meteorological Office said.
Lydia Patrick17 November 2023 15:09
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