As previously reported 24 ChannelsThe volcano, located north of the town of Grindavik, started erupting at 22.17 local time on December 18. An hour before that, seismologists recorded another earthquake, of which thousands have occurred since October. Security cameras recorded the first lava flow.

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As the media now reports, the eruption has stabilized and is now slowing downHowever, scientists cannot say how long this situation will last. David Pyle, professor of earth sciences at the University of Oxford in England, said earthquakes had decreased and suggested that the fault had stabilized and spread a “curtain” of magma.

The northern end of the fault is east of Stor Skugfell, and the southern end extends to a point east of Sundnyuk, less than 3 km from Grindavik.

The fact that activity is already decreasing indicates that the eruption is approaching equilibrium, not how long the eruption will last. This trend has been observed at the beginning of all eruptions on the Reykjanes Peninsula in recent years.
– say representatives of the Icelandic Meteorological Service (IMO).

The explosion occurs along the entire 3.5 kilometer crack. The highest level of activity is recorded around the center of the crack, in the area marked “Zone 3” and shown in orange on the hazard assessment map.

Hazard assessment map of Iceland showing the central fault zone of the currently erupting volcano (in orange) / Photo: Icelandic Meteorological Office

The eruption rate is probably several hundred cubic meters of lava per second; This is enough to fill an Olympic swimming pool in approximately 20 seconds. The length of the crack may be an indication of how much magma has been able to accumulate in the Earth’s crust over the past few weeks.
says David Pyle, adding that the eruption will probably continue for a few more days.

Seismic activity measurements indicate that magma is moving southwestward and the eruption may propagate towards Grindavik. It is a small fishing town with a population of about 2,800 people in the southwestern part of the island and was quickly evacuated in November, when seismologists predicted that an eruption would begin in the coming days. Later, a 1 meter deep sinkhole appeared in the city.

Activity on the Reykjanes Peninsula follows a familiar pattern that is likely to cause more eruptions in the months and years to come. “We are still studying the ‘thresholds’ between slow magma accumulation in the Earth’s crust and rapid dam formation and potential eruptions.”The scientist concluded:

Chronology of events in reverse order:

• December 18 – Volcanic eruption north of Grindavik at 22:17 local time.
• November 20 – The IMO releases a new map showing the expanded “danger zone” around the magma dam. Hagafell is considered the most likely place for a crack to appear.
• November 15 – IMO reports that seismic activity has remained stable since November 11. Surveillance is focused around Grindavik.
• November 14 – Icelandic authorities set up makeshift defenses to protect the Svartsengi geothermal power plant from lava flows.
• November 10 – Grindavik is evacuated due to increased seismic activity reaching the fishing town. Icelandic authorities declared a state of emergency.
• November 9 – The largest earthquake recorded since the beginning of the year reached a magnitude of M4.8. The Blue Lagoon geothermal facility, one of the country’s most famous tourist attractions, is temporarily closed.
• November 4 – Seismic activity has decreased significantly, but the Icelandic Meteorological Office continues to monitor the situation.
• October 25 – Seismic activity on the Reykjanes Peninsula is increasing: More than 1,000 earthquakes have been recorded in the region, the largest of which has a magnitude of M4.5.