The case in summary Grindavík in Iceland is preparing for a possible new volcanic eruption. The ground is rising in the area, which is a sign that an eruption may come soon. The residents are still evacuated. The governing authorities have prepared a contingency plan and have initiated measures to protect the infrastructure. There have been two volcanic eruptions in the area recently: first on 18 December, and then on 14 January. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – If we are to judge based on how the outbreak behaved last time, it could happen again in a fairly short time. That’s according to Sigríður Kristjánsdóttir, natural hazard expert at the Meteorological Institute in Iceland. She thinks it could be a matter of a few weeks. Sigríður Kristjánsdóttir and her colleagues at the Meteorological Institute believe there may be another outbreak shortly. Photo: Privat In an update on Thursday, the institute also wrote that there is an increased risk of another volcanic eruption. It is just over two weeks since the previous volcanic eruption in Iceland. On the morning of 14 January, a crack opened in the earth’s crust a few kilometers north of the town of Grindavík, and the lava flowed out. A few hours later, another crack opened up, this time right next to the house. In the live image, the residents could see how the lava was approaching their houses. This is what it looked like when the lava flowed into Grindavík on 14 January. Three houses ended up completely or partially under the lava. It is the first time since 1973 that a volcanic eruption in Iceland has affected developed areas. Now the forecast landed on yet another volcanic eruption. In that case, it will be the sixth since March 2021. Several other geologists in Iceland have also said that they believe there may be another eruption soon. Almost no break One of the clearest signs that something is brewing is that the soil rises. It indicates that magma collects below the surface. When more and more magma collects in the same place, it pushes the Earth’s crust upwards. Little by little he finds new ways to relieve the pressure. Then there could be a volcanic eruption. The latest calculations by the experts in Iceland show that the soil in the area around Svartsengi is rising by around eight millimeters every day. – It is a bit faster than I saw before the volcanic eruption on 14 January. But there are always some fluctuations in the data, says Kristjánsdóttir. This uplift of the earth’s crust started almost immediately after the previous eruption. – She takes a very short break, if any at all. After the eruption in December, there was also a very short pause before the magma started to gather again. In general, Kristjánsdóttir says that the situation is now very similar to what it was before the last two eruptions. Likely eruption in the same area If there is another volcanic eruption, the researchers believe that it will happen in the same area as the last two times. In December and January there have been two volcanic eruptions near Grindavík. Recently, the lava also flowed into the city itself. This could mean that Grindavík, the tiny town on the south side of the peninsula, could be in the danger zone once again. Then primarily in the form of the lava being able to flow towards the houses again, despite the fact that the authorities have built protective “walls” in several places. – It can happen. Either that a crack expands further south, or that a new, small crack forms like the last one, says Kristjánsdóttir. A new outbreak can also occur at very short notice, the researchers believe. Three houses were destroyed by lava during the eruption in January. Not since 1973 has Photo: Ragnar Visage / RÚV What is happening to Grindavík? The approximately 3,700 inhabitants were evacuated on the night of 14 January, just a few hours before the outbreak began. Valgerður Ágústsdóttir and her family were among those who left the city that night. Then they had to be at home for a week after the previous outbreak. No one has been allowed to move back home after the outbreak in January. The area is still too dangerous. This week, residents have nevertheless been allowed to travel home for three hours at a time, to pick up belongings or look at their houses. Several strong earthquakes destroyed roads and houses in Grindavík in November and December. This crack has now been repaired, but the reconstruction takes time. Photo: Björn Steinbekk / AP So far, no one knows when – or if – they will ever be able to move back home permanently. Researchers believe that there will be volcanic and earthquake activity in the area for a long time to come. Many people from Grindavík have asked the authorities to buy their houses, so the future will be more clarified. The government has said that it is one of the possibilities they are considering to help the inhabitants, but they have not decided anything yet. That is why there are so many eruptions in Iceland. It is likely that there will be even more outbreaks in the coming years. Several geologists believe that the area is in a “volcanic eruption period”, i.e. a period of increased activity. It can last several hundred years. Newspaper Kjarninn writes that in one such period there were 6–8 eruptions over the course of 50–100 years. In general, Iceland is one of the countries in the world that has the most volcanoes and the greatest risk of earthquakes. The island lies precisely where two continental plates are sliding away from each other. When these plates move, it leads to earthquakes. Areas where such plates meet usually also have more volcanoes than other places.
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Grindavik in Iceland is preparing for another volcanic eruption – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
