Restoring sizzling water through an emergency pipeline that was already below building might take days, it mentioned.
Volcanic outbreaks within the Reykjanes peninsula are so-called fissure eruptions, which don’t normally trigger giant explosions or vital dispersal of ash into the stratosphere.
An aerial view of the volcano erupting, north of Grindavík, Iceland.Credit score: Almannavarnir through AP
Nevertheless, scientists worry they might proceed for years, and Icelandic authorities have began constructing dykes to divert burning lava flows away from houses and important infrastructure.
The lava stream additionally got here inside 1 km (0.6 miles) of the peninsula’s Svartsengi geothermal energy plant, Pedersen mentioned.
Because the lava flowed, staff have been making an attempt to fill in gaps within the protecting dykes constructed alongside the street.
“So they’re actually doing all they will to stop lava reaching the facility plant,” she mentioned.
Historical past of eruptions
The most recent eruptive fissure, the sixth outbreak since 2021, was roughly 3 km (2 miles) lengthy, Iceland’s meteorological workplace mentioned. Intense earthquake exercise started round 5:30 a.m. and the eruption itself half-hour later.
A plume of smoke rose 3 km into the air, in keeping with the Met Workplace.
Reykjanesbaer, Iceland’s fifth largest municipality, mentioned it will shut all kindergartens and colleges on Friday.
The earlier eruption within the space began on January 14 and lasted roughly two days, with lava flows reaching the outskirts of the Grindavik fishing city, whose practically 4000 inhabitants had been evacuated, the place some homes have been set alight.
Folks watching the volcano north of Grindavík, Iceland. The eruption of the Sylingarfell volcano started at 6am native time on Thursday, quickly after an intense burst of seismic exercise.Credit score: AP
Thursday’s eruption befell a way from Grindavik and was unlikely to pose a direct risk to the city, Icelandic geophysicist Ari Trausti Gudmundsson instructed Reuters.
Iceland’s President Gudni Johannesson posted a picture of flames and smoke within the distance on social media, saying that was the view from his residence.
“As earlier than, our ideas are with the individuals of Grindavik who can’t reside of their stunning city. This too shall move,” Johannesson wrote.
Regardless of downgrading the volcanic system’s risk degree, authorities have warned of additional eruptions as land continued to rise within the space because of magma accumulating underground.
The Reykjanes peninsula alone has six energetic volcanic techniques and will see eruptions on-and-off for many years or probably even centuries, Gudmundsson mentioned.
Different components of the nation have extra highly effective volcanoes.
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In 2010, ash clouds from eruptions at Eyafjallajokull within the south of Iceland unfold over giant components of Europe, grounding some 100,000 flights and forcing lots of of Icelanders to evacuate houses.
However not like Eyafjallajokull, the Reykjanes volcano techniques aren’t trapped below glaciers and are thus not anticipated to trigger similar-sized ash clouds.
Iceland, which is roughly the scale of the US state of Kentucky, boasts greater than 30 energetic volcanoes, making the north European island a major vacation spot for volcano tourism – a distinct segment phase that pulls 1000’s of thrill seekers.
Reuters
