The Iceland volcano blows with a "spectacular" eruption - what is going on now

The cracks near the city of Grindavík began to spit lava after weeks of speculation.


Iceland has become a Holiday Destination Top In recent years thanks to its superb natural beauty. The unique landscape of the island nation is famous thanks to high levels of volcanic activity which continue to shape and shape the ground. But while most events are treated without incident, some still attract international attention, in particular the eruption of The Eyjafjallajökull volcano In 2010, this led to significant disruptions in plane trips due to swollen ash clouds, according to NASA. Now another "spectacular" eruption is underway in a volcano in Iceland. Read the rest to see what is going on now and if you will be assigned by the event.

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A volcanic eruption started on the Reykjanes peninsula of Iceland after weeks of earthquakes and speculation.

In recent weeks, Iceland officials have impatiently followed developments in the Reykjanes peninsula at the southwest corner of the country after Thousands of earthquakes shook the area. The fears of an imminent eruption led to the evacuation of the city of Grindavík, to the temporary closure of the famous benchmark of the island's blue lagoon and to the company of protective measures for the geothermal power plant of SvartSengi near, The New York Times reports.

On December 18, long cracks that had developed in the region finally started to break out while lava pillars in the air. The event immediately lit the night sky And could be seen from the capital of Reykjavik, about 26 miles, reports the BBC.

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The initial evaluation of the eruption provided for a worst case.

Scientists jumped to assess the gravity of the eruption as soon as it started to try to predict how much it could damage the surroundings. Their first projections painted a dark image, suggesting that the intensity of the event could have an impact on Grindavík and the nearby plant, The temperature reports.

"It's bigger than previous eruptions on Reykjanes", " Magnus Gudmundsson , a volcanologist told the newspaper.

Even local residents who consider themselves accustomed to eruptions have been alarmed by its strength. "It was crazy to see him with my own eyes. We have already had explosions of volcales, but it was the first time that I was really scary," Aoalheiour Halldorsdottir , a resident of the city of Sandgeroi, about 12 miles from Grindavík, told BBC News. "We are used to volcanoes [in eruption], but it was crazy."

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However, scientists now say that event disturbances may not be as bad as they thought for the first time.

But in the hours following the start of the powerful eruption, scientists were able to obtain more information and Modify their assessments . The overflows of the crack led some scientists to resume their initial calculations on potential damage to the surrounding areas, at least for the moment. AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

"The flow of lava on the ground is still in a distant region, so at this stage, it is not an immediate threat to the city of Grindavík or the Svartsegi power station. But there can always be a risk of flow of lava damaging the infrastructure, " Freysteinn Sigmundsson A geophysicist at the University of Iceland, told NBC News.

Until now, the Icelandic Office of Met has declared that there has been no reports of injuries related to the eruptions, reports the BBC. However, volcanic fumes could still pose a problem for nearby residents, especially if they suffer from respiratory problems, Sam Mitchell , PhD, volcanologist at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom, told BBC.

It is also unlikely that the eruption of Iceland will affect trips by plane as it did more than a decade ago.

The Met Office says that despite "a significant disturbance of the ground" of the eruption which could last up to 10 days, the initial force was already starting to go out, according to NBC News. But all travelers who have flashbacks to the last large Icelandic eruption can also expect a different result this time.

"It is completely valid that people are rethinking in 2010 and the impact caused across Europe, especially for plane trips," Mitchell told the BBC. "The difference this time is that the volcano does not explode explosively with water. People should therefore not worry about air space above Europe because the current eruption is unlike In nothing to what happened with Eyjafjallajökull. "

And although local residents are now safe from the eruption, it is not exactly business as usual in the Reykjanes peninsula. THE Blue lagoon will remain closed until at least December 27, and managers warn all travelers hoping to obtain an instantaneous once in life to avoid the area while the conditions continue to change, The temperature reports.

"The size of the crack develops quickly", " Hjordis Gudmundsdottir A spokesperson for the Civil Protection Department of Iceland, said in an interview, adding that it was "no tourist volcano".

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