On the night of December 18, a volcanic eruption commenced in Iceland, south of the capital, Reykjavik, in an area where seismic activity had been intense since early November, as reported by the Icelandic Meteorological Institute (IMO).
“An effusive eruption began a few kilometers northeast of Grindavík shortly after 22:30 UTC,” stated the IMO in a release, noting that the aviation color code had shifted to red. However, the operator of Iceland’s Keflavík Airport, ISAVIA, mentioned on its website, “At the moment, there are no disruptions to arrivals or departures at Keflavík Airport.”
On November 11, residents of Grindavík, a picturesque town of 4,000 inhabitants, were evacuated as a precaution following hundreds of earthquakes caused by magma movement beneath the Earth’s crust—a precursor to a volcanic eruption. Since then, residents have only been allowed to visit their homes during specific hours of the day.
“An eruption near the evacuated town of Grindavík has begun. Our priorities remain the protection of lives and infrastructure. Civil Protection has closed the affected area. Now, we wait to see what nature has in store for us. We are prepared and remain vigilant,” declared Icelandic President Guoni Jóhannesson.
Media images captured weeks before the eruption show incandescent orange lava forcefully spewing from a seemingly lengthy fissure. “It’s not a tourist eruption, and it should be observed from a very far distance,” emphasized Vídir Reynisson, head of civil protection and emergency management in Iceland, in an interview with local public television RUV.
According to the IMO, the eruption may be stabilizing. “The fact that the activity is already decreasing is not an indication of how long the eruption will last, but rather that the eruption is stabilizing,” noted the meteorological institute, citing a similar trend observed at the onset of previous eruptions on the Reykjanes Peninsula.
“Our thoughts go to the local population. We hope for the best, but it is clear that this is a significant eruption,” wrote Icelandic Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir on Facebook.
The Reykjanes Peninsula, south of Reykjavik, had been free from eruptions for eight centuries until March 2021. Since then, two more eruptions occurred in August 2022 and July 2023, signaling renewed volcanic activity in the region. Iceland, with 32 considered active volcanic systems, stands as Europe’s most volcanic region, characterized by a juxtaposition of fire and ice.