A volcano erupted in Iceland for the first time in 800 years, spewing molten lava into the air and turning skies red for miles.
According to reports, the fissure is about 500-700 metres long at Fagradalsfjall on Reykjanes peninsula. The eruption resulted in an increase in tremors in the region, which is approximately 30 km south-west of the capital Reykjavik.
Fortunately, the eruption posed no immediate danger to people in Grindavik or to critical infrastructure, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO).
A new video of the eruption at Geldingardalur valley in Reykjanes peninsula. Taken from the Coast Guard helicopter. #Reykjanes #Eruption #Fagradalsfjall pic.twitter.com/B862heMzQL
— Icelandic Meteorological Office – IMO (@Vedurstofan) March 19, 2021
Footage and pictures shared on social media show molten lava making channels and turning the ground black.
According to the Iceland Meteorological Office (IMO), the eruption began at 8:45 PM GMT on 19 March. However, a magnitude 3.1 earthquake was recorded 1.2 km for Fagradalsfjall several hours before the eruption.
However, residents of the town of Thorlakshofn were told to stay indoors to avoid exposure to volcanic gases, Iceland’s Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management said.
Iceland, yesterday. A peek into the inferno of our Earth.
(video Chris Burkard https://t.co/Ba8Eh0SJbX) pic.twitter.com/QEMOv8X6ug
— Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) March 20, 2021
Lava covered around one square kilometre of the area just four hours after the initial eruption.
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Iceland has been experiencing frequent tremors recently because it sits on two tectonic plates – The Eurasian and North American tectonic plates and has recorded more than 40,000 earthquakes in the past four weeks.
