Troubled years await Iceland

Understanding the sources of explosions is critical to the safety of residents. Researchers say this magma pool could fuel similar-sized volcanic eruptions in the region for many years, perhaps even decades.

Compare [нинішніх] The occurrence of eruptions along with historical events provides strong evidence that Iceland should be prepared for this volcanic event to continue for some time, perhaps even years or decades.
– says geologist Valentyn Troll from Uppsala University in Sweden, who led the research.

Troll and his colleagues used data from seismic waves from volcanic eruptions and the numerous earthquakes that precede and follow them to map the interior of the Reykjanes peninsula in southwestern Iceland, home to a large portion of the country’s population.

They found that the 2021 eruptions in the Fagradalsfjatl volcanic system resulted from a pocket of magma that later seeped along geological lines into Sundnukur, where volcanoes have been spewing lava since late 2023.

Since both eruption zones erupted lava with similar geochemical composition, the data suggest that a “connected magma pipeline system” existed between the two volcanic systems.

Historical data indicate that this shared magma pool likely formed between 2002 and 2020, refilled in 2023, and continues to supply magma from shallow depths to surface cracks and vents along gently sloping paths. Melting of rocks deep in the mantle replenishes the magma reservoir. Could fuel eruptions for decades to come.

Troll adds that eruption frequency should be expected to increase in the near future, meaning the magma supply system that feeds current eruptions needs to be better understood.

Now that a magma pool has been identified, it can be mapped and monitored to prepare communities for what might happen. But the truth is that scientists cannot say exactly how long the eruptions will last. While there is a visible regularity in this, they say that in nature “there are always exceptions and violations.”

We don’t know how long or how often this will continue over the next ten or even a hundred years.
– says the University of Oregon.

• It will be recalled that the volcanic eruption near the small fishing town of Grindavik began in December 2023, and before that, the entire Reykjanes peninsula had experienced thousands of small earthquakes in a matter of weeks, predicting the future event.
• Already in November, in preparation for the eruption, Icelandic authorities evacuated all residents of Grindavik, where almost 4 thousand people lived. The Blue Lagoon geothermal facility was also closed.
• During the volcanic eruption, a crack up to 3.5 kilometers long appeared on the earth’s surface. Every second, fire fountains spewed out 100-200 cubic meters of lava.
• Repeated eruptions in the following months repeatedly spewed red-hot rocks along the fault line. The last case was recorded on May 30.
• As a result, huge areas were flooded with magma that had now solidified, destroying many buildings in Grindavik.