Janice R. Andrews
Lava is erupting from an Icelandic volcano hundreds of feet into the sky. Today’s explosion started at a spot where the December eruption happened last year. Although officials note that the flow of lava is not as strong as it was during the previous eruption, the flow is still going west.
Luckily, neither the nearby geothermal power plant nor the town of Grindavik are in immediate danger at this time. Civil defense representatives have attested to the fact that nobody was present in Grindavik during the eruption.
The Blue Lagoon thermal spa, a well-liked tourist destination, was closed, nevertheless, and visitors were evacuated out of caution. There are reports that a road close to the spa is now crossed by a stream of molten lava.
Military search and rescue personnel are now looking for five Marines after a missing military chopper was discovered in Southern California; no injuries have been recorded as of yet.
The roughly 3-kilometer-long eruptive fissure extends from Mt. Sundhnúkur to the eastern region of Mt. Stóra-Skógfell. Between 160 and 262 feet are being reached by lava fountains, and the volcanic plume is soaring almost two miles above the rift.
Significant seismic activity has been observed in the region north of Grindavík, with approximately 200 earthquakes recorded since the eruption started. After observing magma building beneath the surface for the previous three weeks, the Icelandic Meteorological Office issued a warning about a potential eruption. Although precautions have been made, several buildings have been destroyed by lava, and the town’s ground has sunk by up to 4½ feet as a result of magma flow.
Watch this space for more developments on this unfolding scenario.
