Neither lava nor a toxic cloud of sulfur dioxide will affect in the populated areas of Iceland in the coming days, after the volcanic eruption in Iceland, experts predict.

The eruption of a “fissure” type volcano – not a single cone – reached a length of almost four kilometers, located on the Reykjanes Peninsula, in the southwest of the country and about four kilometers from the town of Grindavik, populated area closest to the eruption site.

Forecast models used by Icelandic organizations and reproduced by some Spanish volcanic and seismological research centers show how the sulfur dioxide cloud generated by the volcano moved south in the early morning of December 20, and to the southeast and later. turned north and northwest, towards the North Atlantic and distance from populated areas, among them the capital is Reykjavik.

Volcanologist Raul Perez from the Spanish Geological and Mining Institute of the Supreme Council of Scientific Research (IGME-CSIC) explained to the agency. EFE that the most toxic parts of this cloud, which accumulate up to 9 thousand micrograms of sulfur dioxide per cubic meter, They did not approach the population.

Raul Perez emphasized, in accordance with the arguments made by Icelandic experts, that the volcanic eruption occurred in one of the best places for it on the island, since the crack opened in a place far from populated areas, since the topography of the land itself makes the path that will be followed lava, very predictable, and because the wind patterns in the area help it these “clouds” are moving away from the island.

The Institute of Geosciences (IGEO), dependent on the Supreme Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) and the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), also announced lava flows on social media until December 25, and these flows are not observed to affect populated areas.

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This model is based on the fact that the lava flow at the beginning of the eruption was 300 cubic meters per second, although it decreased until it reached a balance of about 30 cubic meters of lava per second.

Experts from this research center insisted that the eruption of this volcano had nothing in common with the Eyjafjallajökull eruption in 2010, which had a major impact on European airspace due to the huge release of ash into the atmosphere.

IGEO recalled that “fissure” eruptions have already occurred on the Icelandic Reykjanes Peninsula in 2021, 2022, and also in July last year.

As in these cases, the December 19 eruption has nothing in common with the 2010 eruption, since This new crack is not located under the glacier like that one.Therefore, there will be no melting of ice and increase in gases, which will increase the explosiveness and fragmentation of magma into ash, expanding – as in 2010 – through the atmosphere.

Live broadcasts from cameras installed in the vicinity of the volcano show how the strength of the eruption decreased over timeand although the volcano continues to erupt streams, they are almost invisible in those chambers.

(EFE)