Thousands evacuated as Iceland braces for volcanic eruption

COPENHAGEN:

Seismic activity in southwest Iceland eased in magnitude and intensity on Monday, but the risk of a volcanic eruption remained significant, authorities said, after tremors and signs of magma spreading underground in recent weeks.

Nearly 4,000 people were evacuated over the weekend as authorities feared molten rock would rise to the surface and possibly hit a coastal town and a geothermal plant.

Located between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates, one of the largest on the planet, Iceland is a seismic and volcanic hot spot as the two plates move in opposite directions.

The Icelandic Meteorological Office said on Monday there was a “significant possibility” of an eruption in the coming days on the Reykjavík peninsula near the capital Reykjavik, despite the magnitude and intensity of the earthquakes decreasing.

“We think this intrusion is literally hovering, it’s in balance right now just below the surface of the earth,” said Matthew James Roberts, director of services and research at the weather office.

“We have this huge uncertainty now. Will there be an explosion, and if so, what kind of damage will happen?” he said.

Thorvaldur Thordarson, a professor of volcanology at the University of Iceland, said the latest data indicated a lower risk of an eruption in the area around the town of Grindavik.

Residents of Grindavik described being driven from their homes in the early hours of Saturday morning as the ground shook, roads cracked and buildings suffered structural damage.

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Hans Vera, a Belgian-born 56-year-old who has lived in Iceland since 1999, said his family’s home continues to shake.

“You would never be steady, you were always shaking, so there was no way to sleep,” said Vera, who now lives at his sister-in-law’s house in a Reykjavik suburb.

“It’s not just the people in Grindavik who are shocked by this situation, but the whole of Iceland.”

Almost all of the town’s 3,800 residents managed to find accommodation with family members or friends, and only 50 to 70 people were staying in evacuation centers, a rescue official said.

Some evacuees were briefly allowed to return to the city on Sunday to collect items such as documents, medicine or pets, but were not allowed to drive on their own.

“You have to park your car five kilometers out of town and there are 20 cars, huge rescue squad cars, 20 policemen, all the lights flashing, it’s just unreal, it’s like a war zone or something, it’s really weird” , said Vera.

The Reykjanes Peninsula is a volcanic and seismic hotspot southwest of the capital. In March 2021, fountains of lava erupted spectacularly from a fissure in the ground between 500-750 meters long in the area’s Fagradalsfjall volcanic system.

Volcanic activity in the area continued for six months that year, prompting thousands of Icelanders and tourists to visit the scene. In August 2022, a three-week eruption occurred in the same area, followed by another in July this year.