Icelandic officials announce a state of emergency in a coastal town facing the imminent threat of a volcano.
On Saturday, inhabitants of a southwestern Icelandic fishing town evacuated their residences due to growing apprehension about a potential volcanic eruption. Civil defense authorities declared a state of emergency in the region as seismic activity in the area shifted south towards the town. Monitoring by the Iceland Meteorological Office revealed that a corridor of magma, or semi-molten rock, now extends beneath the community.
Grindavik, a town with a population of 3,400, is situated on the Reykjanes Peninsula, approximately 50 kilometers southwest of the capital, Reykjavik.
The authorities elevated the aviation alert level to orange, signaling a heightened risk of a volcanic eruption. Volcanic eruptions pose a significant threat to aviation as they can release highly abrasive ash into the upper atmosphere, potentially leading to engine failures, damage to flight control systems, and diminished visibility.
The notable eruption in Iceland in 2010 resulted in extensive disruptions to air travel between Europe and North America, with airlines incurring an estimated $3 billion US in losses due to the cancellation of over 100,000 flights.
The evacuation was prompted by weeks of daily occurrences of hundreds of small earthquakes in the region. Scientists have been closely monitoring a gradual accumulation of magma approximately five kilometers below the surface.
Apprehension escalated during the early hours of Thursday when a magnitude-4.8 earthquake struck the area, leading to the temporary closure of the globally recognized Blue Lagoon geothermal resort.
