Icelandic town evacuated over risk of possible volcanic eruption
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The town of Grindavik in southwestern Iceland has been evacuated due to concerns about a potential volcanic eruption.
- The Icelandic Meteorological Office has stated that there is a significant likelihood of a volcanic eruption in the coming days, but the exact site of a possible eruption is unknown.
- Authorities have also raised their aviation alert to orange, indicating an increased risk of a volcanic eruption.
- The region has been experiencing hundreds of small earthquakes every day for more than two weeks, and the evacuation comes after a magnitude 4.8 earthquake hit the area.
- Experts are predicting that a volcanic eruption near the town of Grindavik in Iceland could cause significant damage to the town and surrounding infrastructure.
SUMMARY
The town of Grindavik in southwestern Iceland has been evacuated due to concerns about a potential volcanic eruption. The decision to evacuate was made after seismic activity in the area moved south toward the town, and monitoring indicated that a corridor of magma now extends under the community. The Icelandic Meteorological Office has stated that there is a significant likelihood of a volcanic eruption in the coming days, but the exact site of a possible eruption is unknown. Authorities have also raised their aviation alert to orange, indicating an increased risk of a volcanic eruption. The evacuation comes after the region was shaken by hundreds of small earthquakes every day for more than two weeks, and a magnitude 4.8 earthquake hit the area. Experts are predicting that a volcanic eruption near the town of Grindavik in Iceland could cause significant damage to the town and surrounding infrastructure. The town has been evacuated as a precaution, and emergency shelters have been set up in nearby towns. The Icelandic Met Office has observed magma accumulating under the Earth's surface and has declared a state of emergency. The eruption is expected to occur within hours or days, and the most likely scenario is a fissure opening in the ground near Grindavik. Iceland, which has 33 active volcanic systems, is located on the mid-Atlantic Ridge, a crack in the ocean floor separating the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates.