Iceland: The city of Reykjanes is preparing for a volcanic eruption

Given one A continuous series of earthquakes A volcanic eruption is likely imminent Iceland One of the country’s biggest tourist attractions has been temporarily closed. The Blue Lagoon, a geothermal pool southwest of Reykjavik, will initially remain closed for a week until Thursday next week. Operators said on the website of the outdoor pool, famous for its special white-blue water, that the main reason for the decision was the ongoing burden on employees. Seismic activity will be closely monitored in the coming days and the situation will be reassessed accordingly.

Blue Lagoon is located on the Reykjanes Peninsula, about 40 kilometers southwest of Reykjavik and less than 20 minutes’ drive from Keflavik International Airport. A new series of earthquakes with thousands of tremors began on the peninsula at the end of October – since 2020, earthquake swarms have announced volcanic eruptions three times.

The situation is stressful for residents as well

According to Icelandic Meteorological Authority Fedorstova, there were hundreds of earthquakes in the area Thursday night, including several with a magnitude greater than 4.0 and one with an intensity approaching 5.0. It is still unclear whether all this is a harbinger of an eruption this time as well. A total of 1,200 earthquakes have been measured since the end of October. Meanwhile, residents of the Reykjanes Peninsula are stressed: “We haven’t slept properly for two weeks. The ground is shaking under our feet all the time. Sometimes I’m surprised that my house is still standing when “Earthquakes are very close – sometimes directly underneath.”

There have been repeated earthquakes in the area since 2021, but according to Valentin Troll, a volcanologist at Uppsala University, the situation is more serious this time: “The problem we are seeing now is that the epicenters are located under or below near a geothermal power plant. It supplies energy to Reykjavik Airport, among other things.The fishing village has also been affected.

Unconfirmed volcanic eruption

Despite numerous earthquakes, it is not possible to say with certainty whether the volcano will erupt or not – because it is impossible to predict whether the rising magma will actually come out of the ground or get stuck in the ground. Volcanologist Troll believes an eruption is imminent.

Island residents also prepared for an emergency: evacuation plans were in place, and a live camera was in place monitoring the volcano at all times.

View comments