EnglishFor the sixth time in several months, Iceland's volcano erupts, spewing lava into the sky
Arab Weather - A volcano erupted on Thursday on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern Iceland, spewing lava into the air, authorities said. It's the sixth volcanic eruption the country has seen since December.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office said in a statement that the volcanic eruption began at 21:26 local and global time, after a series of earthquakes struck the area.
Live video footage filmed at night showed lava flowing from a long fissure, with smoke rising into the sky. The Met Office said it had not yet been able to determine the length of the fissure.
This is the sixth eruption in the area since December, and comes after another eruption that lasted for more than three weeks since the end of May on the same peninsula.
Local media reported that the nearby village of Grindavik was being evacuated, as has happened in previous volcanic eruptions, without specifying how many people were being evacuated.
- On Thursday, a volcano in southwest Iceland erupted, releasing lava and smoke into the air—marking the sixth eruption since December.
The event took place on the Reykjanes peninsula, just south of Reykjavik, where magma had been steadily accumulating.
The region, home… pic.twitter.com/zUsdPfkudk
— The Informant (@theinformant_x) August 22, 2024
Why is Iceland's volcano constantly erupting?
The main reason for the constant eruption of volcanoes in Iceland is due to its unique geographical location , as the island lies on the boundary between the Eurasian tectonic plate and the North American tectonic plate.
This area is known as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a place where tectonic plates move apart, allowing molten lava from the Earth's interior to rise to the surface.
In addition, Iceland is located above a geological hotspot , a region in the mantle layer beneath the Earth's crust that is characterized by extreme heat. This causes molten material from the mantle to rise to the surface, increasing volcanic activity in the area.
Iceland’s constant seismic activity is an indicator of tectonic plate movement and the buildup of stresses within the Earth, which are released through volcanic eruptions. These small earthquakes prepare and weaken the ground, making it easier for a volcanic eruption to occur when the conditions are right.
This combination of tectonic movement and thermal activity makes Iceland one of the most volcanically active regions in the world, and explains the frequent volcanic eruptions that occur there.
Iceland volcano erupts
An aerial view last night of the sixth eruption since the beginning of December at Sundøkar, north of Grindavik in the southwestern part of Iceland. Here is a local civil defense film of the large lava fissure that has formed, about 4 km long.
— World_Weather (@Arab_Storms) August 23, 2024
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