All this may seem quite disturbing. Some on social media even suggest that volcanic activity is unusually high; as if hinting at some geological event that would lead to large and long-lasting explosions on the planet and the corresponding consequences. However, according to experts, there is no reason to worry: Volcanism at this level is a completely normal phenomenon.

What do the experts say?

“This is absolutely normal”– volcanologists say, Including Janine Krippner from the University of Waikato in New Zealand. According to him, something imminent is happening on Earth (that is, on land) right now. 46 volcanic eruptions. This means that they erupt periodically, at least once every three months (and some, such as the volcano in Mexico, have been erupting regularly since 2005). There are usually 40-50 of them, and about 20 ash and lava gush out every day.

Christopher Kilburn, professor of volcanology and geophysical hazards at University College London, agrees that it is not unusual for so many volcanoes to erupt simultaneously.

Scientists say that the problem here is not volcanoes, but because some eruptions occur near populated areas, so people for one reason or another are starting to pay more attention to them. The media is more likely to write about an explosion near a city, such as in Grindavik, Iceland, rather than an explosion in a remote area.

There may be an unusual increase in the number of news circulating in the media, especially if the volcano is near populated areas or if there is a spectacular video showing the eruption.
– says Kilburn.

In Iceland, we saw images of broken roads, people being evacuated in a hurry, smoke and steam rising from the ground. This is certainly worrying, but Iceland – and Grindavik in particular – is a hotbed of volcanic activity, so this is not an unprecedented event for this part of the planet. In the past, similar cases that we still remember actively made headlines; For example, the eruption of the Eyjafjörður volcano in 2010 significantly disrupted air travel. This has led to “increased interest” in volcanism in the country, so current activity is “making news even though the eruption has not yet occurred.”

Jenny Barclay from the University of East Anglia says: “This is exactly the case when people realize that volcanoes are erupting more violently than usual.”. Simply put, it is a good thing that more and more people are interested in volcanism, but we should not exaggerate it by creating problems where there are none.