Iceland volcano erupts after weeks of earthquakes
Stunning footage has shown 100m high lava waves lap up out of an Icelandic ridge following the eruption of a volcano on the island.
The dramatic scene can be seen up to 20km away after the skies over the eruption turned orange. You can watch a live stream of the ongoing eruption here.
It comes as a hiker was rescued by a helicopter after sending a SOS signal when he got lost near the raging lava and toxic fumes overnight.
Meanwhile, Iceland’s foreign minister said scientists had warned that the volcanic eruption in Iceland could go on for months.
Bjarni Benediktsson added that the eruption on Monday was “much larger” than those seen in recent years, which he described as “nice touristic eruptions”.
More vents are expected to open as the volcanic eruption in southwest Iceland continues, the Icelandic Met Office has warned.
Three out of five vents are still active after the volcano on the Reykjanes peninsula began to erupt on Monday night, spewing lava and smoke over 100m into the air.
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Watch: Iceland volcano magma shoots from vents amid apocalyptic scenes
Iceland volcano magma shoots from vents amid apocalyptic scenes
Alexander Butler20 December 2023 15:07
Watch: Tourist watches on as lava shoots from Iceland volcano
A tourist watched on metres away from a volcanic eruption on Iceland‘s Reykjanes Peninsula on Monday, 18 December.
“I’m very excited to be here in this place, in this time, just being able to see this natural phenomenon… It’s just something from a movie,” said Robert Donald Forrester III.
The eruption began a few kilometres from Grindavík, whose nearly 4,000 inhabitants were evacuated last month.
Tourist watches on as lava shoots from Iceland volcano: ‘Something from a movie’
A tourist watched on metres away from a volcanic eruption on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula on Monday, 18 December. “I’m very excited to be here in this place, in this time, just being able to see this natural phenomenon… It’s just something from a movie,” said Robert Donald Forrester III. The eruption began a few kilometres from Grindavík, whose nearly 4,000 inhabitants were evacuated last month. Authorities also closed the nearby Blue Lagoon geothermal spa. Reykjavik’s nearby Keflavik International Airport remained open, albeit with numerous delays at both arrivals and departures.
Alexander Butler20 December 2023 18:30
Is it safe to travel to Iceland after volcanic eruption?
The earth is at its most restless in Iceland right now. A volcano is erupting on the Reykjanes Peninsula, southwest of Reykjavik.
For six weeks the Icelandic authorities have been monitoring seismic activity close to Keflavik airport, a major North Atlantic aviation hub.
The eruption is around 10 miles southwest of the airport and northeast of the town of Grindavik – whose 4,000 inhabitants were evacuated as a precaution.
Simon Calder20 December 2023 17:25
‘The most likely scenario is that it just stops’
A professor of earth sciences said the most likely scenario is that the eruption will “just stop.”
“It is difficult to see exactly what is going on, but when you get some glimpses through the snow it is obvious that it is just less and less lava flow,” Halldor Geirsson, associate professor at the Institute of Earth Sciences at the University of Iceland, said.
The “most likely scenario is that it just stops”, he said. “But if that happens, the pressure will start building again in the magma chamber, which is likely to trigger another eruption after a few weeks,” he added.
Alexander Butler20 December 2023 16:21
Better to ‘stay at home and get into Christmas spirit’ than head to volcano
Icelanders should stay at home and “get into the Christmas spirit” rather than attempt the risky journey to the eruption area, a public safety official said.
Hjordis Gudmundsdottir, communications director for Iceland’s civil defence department, told Icelandic broadcaster RUV that teams have already spent “a lot of time” turning away people trying to reach the site.
It comes after a hiker was rescued by a helicopter after getting lost near the eruption zone.
Alexander Butler20 December 2023 14:50
Man rescued by helicopter after getting lost near eruption site
Icelandic media is reporting that a hiker had to be rescued after getting lost near the eruption site last night.
News website Iceland Monitor cited coast guard officer Asgeir Erlendsson as saying the man was found safe after a search and brought to safety in a helicopter.
Initial reports suggested two people had given an “SOS signal” towards a passing plane from near the eruption site – but it was later confirmed to be one hiker, he said.
“The helicopter found him and took him back to town,” Mr Erlendsson told the website.
Alexander Butler20 December 2023 13:00
Will the volcano in Iceland affect flights?
Flights in and out of Iceland’s main airport have been affected by a much-anticipated volcanic eruption, The Independent’s travel correspondent Simon Calder reports.
For six weeks the Icelandic authorities have been monitoring seismic activity close to Keflavik airport, a major North Atlantic aviation hub.
The eruption is around 10 miles southwest of the airport and northeast of the town of Grindavik – whose 4,000 inhabitants were evacuated as a precaution.
Alexander Butler20 December 2023 11:00
Iceland volcano thrill-seekers ignore danger warnings to witness dramatic Reykjanes eruption
Thrill-seekers have thrown caution to the wind to get the chance to witness a volcanic eruption in Iceland first hand.
Icelanders flocked to the Sundhnjúkar crater on Monday evening after a 4km fissure opened up and sent plumes of toxic gas and lava along the ridge of a hill.
The eruption, near the town of Grindavík, comes after weeks of earthquakes and uncertainty as to whether the volcano would erupt or not.
Alexander Butler20 December 2023 10:39
Volcanologist says eruption ‘could die out by weekend’
Icelandic broadcaster RUV has cited volcanologist Thorvaldur Thordarson as saying the eruption could die out before the weekend.
“He also sees little to no chance of an eruption in Grindavik or the surrounding area,” the broadcaster said on its English language service.
But it’s not “all over”, he is reported as saying, with more eruptions likely in the area “in the coming years”.
Alexander Butler20 December 2023 10:20
Mapped: Latest location of Iceland volcano eruption and lava flows shown in new images
A volcano in southwest Iceland has finally erupted, spewing rivers of lava from at least a four-km-long fissure, weeks after scores of earthquakes jolted the Reykjanes peninsula.
The eruption late on Monday spewed lava and smoke more than 100 metres into the air after weeks of intense seismic activity that prompted the evacuation of the entire fishing town of Grindavik.
The Icelandic Met Office (IMO) on Tuesday said the crack was still three kilometres away from the Grindavik and that the power of the volcano was decreasing.
Alexander Butler20 December 2023 09:43