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Nature and EnvironmentIceland

Iceland: Grindavik volcano eruption prompts new evacuations

May 29, 2024

A volcano located near the famous Blue Lagoon has erupted once again — the fifth such eruption since December. Icelandic authorities have declared a state of emergency but air traffic has not been significantly affected.

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A volcano near Grindavik, Iceland
The volcano shot lava 50 meters (165 feet) into the airImage: Marco di Marco/AP Photo/picture alliance

A volcano in Grindavik, Iceland, erupted again on Wednesday, spewing lava and clouds of ash into the air.

Iceland's Met Office said the volcano was shooting lava about 50 meters (165 feet) high from a fissure that was around 1 kilometer (1,100 yards) long.

It is the fifth volcanic eruption in the region since December, and it comes almost three weeks after the end of the previous eruption.

The volcanic fissure near Grindavik, as seen from the air
The volcanic fissure near Grindavik is around 1 kilometer (1,100 yards) longImage: Birn Oddsson/Iceland Civil Defense/AP/picture alliance

Blue Lagoon evacuated

Authorities have declared a state of emergency.

The eruption triggered the evacuation of the nearby Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, a popular tourist attraction. Around 700 to 800 visitors were said to be staying there as of Wednesday morning.

Additionally, the few residents who returned to the nearby town of Grindavik since it was evacuated in late 2023 were once again ordered to leave.

The Grindavik volcano as seen from the air
Air traffic has not been significantly disrupted by the ash cloudImage: Birn Oddsson/Iceland Civil Defense/AP/picture alliance

Iceland's main international airport in Keflavik, near the capital, remained "open and operating in the usual way," airport operator Isavia said on its website.

The latest eruptions signal a reawakening of the Svartsengi volcanic system after almost 800 years of dormancy.

It's unclear when this volcanic activity will die down again, or what it means for the Reykjanes Peninsula — one of the few densely populated parts of Iceland.

Volcanic threat looms over Iceland

zc/msh (AP, Reuters, AFP, dpa)

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