REYKJAVÍK: Iceland declared a state of emergency after a series of earthquakes resulted in fears of a volcanic eruption.
Authorities have ordered thousands of residents in Grindavík, a southwestern town, to evacuate as a precaution. The Icelandic Met Office (IMO) has raised alarm that large amounts of magma (molten rock) are spreading underground and could surface.
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The news comes within weeks of tremors being recorded around the nearby Fagradalsfjall volcano, reported BBC News. Although the tremors had been concentrated in the Reykjanes Peninsula of Iceland – after remaining dormant of ‘volcanic activity’ for nearly 800 years up to 2021 – on Thursday, the seismic activity reportedly increased. After this, the authorities were prompted to close the nearby Blu Lagoon landmark for public safety, according to reports.
It is pertinent to mention that since late October, over 20,000 tremors have been recorded in southwest Iceland. The country’s Civil Protection Agency announced the decision to evacuate since the IMO could not rule out a “magma tunnel that is currently forming could reach Grindavík”.
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In a statement released on Friday, the agency informed people to leave the area but emphasized that it is not an “emergency evacuation” while urging them to “remain calm, because we have a good amount of time to react”. The statement further read that while there is “no immediate danger” the evacuation is a preventive measure keeping at the fore the safety of the residents as its “principal aim”.
Additionally, the authorities have closed all roads going to the town for any purpose other than for emergencies to ensure smooth traffic flow. On the other hand, in its statement issued on Friday, the IMO confirmed: “significant changes have occurred in the seismic activity”. The IMO further confirmed that while magma is likely to have extended under the town, the possible damage it could ensure in the case of eruption cannot be determined “exactly”.
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The IMO said: “The amount of magma involved is significantly more than what was observed in the largest magma intrusions associated with the eruptions at Fagradalsfjall”.
It is pertinent to mention that Iceland is among the most geographically active regions in the world, with almost thirty active volcanic sites that are susceptible to eruptions when magma rises to the earth’s surface from deep below it.
Earlier this year, Litli-Hrutur, or Little Ram, erupted in the Fagradalsfjall area attracting tourists to the site to observe the “world’s newest baby volcano”. Prior to that, the site had been dormant for nearly eight centuries until it erupted in 2021, 2022 and 2023, reported BBC.
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