Seismic activity continues near Grindavik in southwest Iceland from midnight to 1100 GMT this Wednesday 15 November. 800 earthquakes were registered.

To this figure they would add more than 3,300 earthquakes in the country since November 10 last year, when the authorities declared a state of emergency, but why is this happening?

Iceland surrounded by volcanoes

There are about 200 volcanoes in Iceland, of which about 30 are active. Grindavik, in the vicinity of which telluric movements have been recorded, is a city in the southwest of the country, famous for its volcanoes and geysers.

Icelandic authorities declared a state of emergency in Grindavik last Friday from midnight to 2 pm (local time). about 800 tremors were measured about three kilometers north of the area and warned of a possible volcanic eruption, so they ordered a preemptive evacuation of this town, 50 kilometers from the capital Reykjavik.

Later on Sunday, November 12, the Icelandic Meteorological Office reported a thousand new earthquakesand November 14 another 700 were reported.

Most earthquakes have been recorded in the middle of a volcanic dam in Sundnuk at a depth of 3 to 5 kilometers, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said in its latest report, highlighting that activity has remained “consistent” since last Friday.

Volcanologists have now identified magma tunnel 15 kilometers longfrom the fishing town of Grindavik to the southeast coast.

Based on geophysical models, it was assumed that the intrusion was slowly spreading upward, and the magma was located 800 meters below the surface.

But last Tuesday, Benedikt Ofeigsson of the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) said the magma beneath Grindavik was likely very close to the surface, perhaps several 500 meters, and clarified that the increase in SO2 levels measured in the atmosphere is evidence of their proximity.

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“SO2 does not release from magma until it is very close to the surface. Only on the top kilometer,” he clarified, as quoted by RUV.

Icelandic authorities have begun construction lava safety barriers6 to 8 meters high, around the nearby Swartzengi power station and the Blue Lagoon, a famous geothermal resort located in the area whose closure has been extended until at least November 30.

Construction work could last between 30 and 40 days, Icelandic digital media Visir reported.

Where could the magma come from?

After the earthquakes, a crack has formed in Grindavik and continues to expand and is moving, according to RUV.

Scientists do not know the exact location of the magma release, although the direction of the fault, which developed from southwest to northeast, gives a clue. IMO suggests that an eruption will likely occur at some point along the fissure.

The event is linked to the growing activity of the nearby Fagradalsfjall volcano, which has increased in activity since 2021, culminating in its latest eruption in the summer.

There is a possibility that volcanic material will eventually appear in this location, but Scientists cannot predict when this will happen. According to the latest IMO reports, the likelihood of the volcano erupting in the coming days is considered high.

(according to information from EFE And Aristegui News)