A volcano erupted on the Reykjanes peninsula, about 30 kilometers from the capital Reykjavik, after intense seismic activity in the area, the Icelandic Met Office reported.
This is a very small eruption at the moment,” said Matthew Roberts of IMO’s research and services division, adding that there was no direct imminent danger to people living in the region.
The eruption occurred near a small mountain called Litli Hrutur, a few kilometers from where the last eruptions on the Reykjanes peninsula occurred in 2021 and 2022.
The images broadcast live by the Icelandic media show a lava flow that appears to be escaping from a fault, as well as smoke coming from Litli Hrutur.
The eruption occurs in a small depression just to the north of Litli Hrutur, from which smoke is billowing in a northwesterly direction,” the IMO said in a statement.
The civil protection service urged the population not to go to the place, since the authorities have yet to assess the situation. In recent days, the lava had moved closer to a few hundred meters below the surface, indicating an imminent eruption, according to volcanologists.
Until now, the rashes The effusive storms that occurred in this area turned out to be relatively harmless, since they did not cause material damage and did not affect air traffic. During the two previous eruptions, which lasted six months and three weeks respectively, thousands of tourists and curious people came to see the lava flows.
The smoke coming out of volcano it can be seen from the road connecting Reykjavik to Keflavik International Airport. Some motorists parked on the side of the road to take photos.
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Tvöfalt meira magn af hrauni en í síðasta gosi og verulega meira af gasi. pic.twitter.com/726AGy6wpH— Fréttastofa RÚV (@RUVfrettir) July 10, 2023