One of Iceland’s volcanoes has erupted for the fourth time in about three months, and the photos and videos coming in from the area are hauntingly and terrifyingly beautiful.
The eruption began in Reykjanes, which is near Grindavik, a small fishing town. The 4,000 residents were safely evacuated in February, and man-made barriers have helped keep the magma flow away from the town’s infrastructure. The area remains under a State of Emergency.
The volcano is one of the country’s 30. And until 2021, it had been dormant for around 800 years. This past October 24, The Icelandic Met Office began detecting a “rise in seismic activity on the Reykjanes Peninsula,” which put the area on high alert.
The volcano erupted on Dec. 18, Jan. 14, Feb. 8, and March 17. The most recent event came with only a 15-minute warning. It is the most powerful eruption to date.
Photos and videos of the Reykjanes peninsula show a massive wall of smoke and rivers of bright orange magma flowing far from the volcano.
According to The Icelandic Met Office, the seismic activity is “relatively stable.” But authorities still worry that the magma could reach the sea or release a toxic gas plume.
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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