Emily Chan
For the fifth time in six months, a volcano in southwestern Iceland has erupted, spewing fountains of lava 150 feet into the air.
The massive lava flows resulted in an evacuation of the Blue Lagoon, a famous geothermal spa located near the fishing town of Grindavík. Officials say it is the most powerful activity observed from the volcano to date.
The eruption was triggered after hundreds of earthquakes were recorded at the Sundhnúks crater.
Initially, lava flows cut off access to two out of three roads leading to Grindavík, moving along a defensive barrier that was erected to protect the town from this very event, according to Iceland’s Meteorological Office. The molten rock was traveling at speeds between 52,000 and 70,600 cubic feet per second.
The town’s electricity was cut, but hot and cold water is still running, and there is no damage to the piping system.
Iceland’s Meteorological Office had issued a warning that a volcanic eruption was likely due to the “intense seismic activity” and the accumulation of magma underground.
At the start of the eruption, the Met Office stated that lava activity was more powerful than in the past, putting Grindavík at risk of becoming completely isolated. But luckily, it decreased significantly overnight.
Grindavík is a town of about 3,000 people. In December, most of the town was evacuated ahead of a previous eruption. Electricity to Grindavík was cut as a safety measure due to the lava inching toward power lines and pipes in the ground. Currently, most of the high-voltage lines are gone.
Recently, about 800 guests at Blue Lagoon were evacuated, making it the spa’s third evacuation in two months. The popular tourist attraction is nearly an hour’s drive from Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland and the largest city in the country.
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