Iceland Volcano Erupts After Weeks of Seismic Activity

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Facts

• Molten lava burst from the ground and lit up Iceland's skies after a volcano on the Reykjanes peninsula in the country's southwest erupted late on Monday.¹
• The eruption has come after weeks of intense seismic activity near the fishing village of Grindavik, which was hit by a 'seismic swarm' of over 1K small earthquakes in a span of 24 hours last month. This led to evacuation orders in November that were partially eased in recent weeks.²
• According to the Icelandic Meteorological Office, a series of small earthquakes struck the peninsula at around 9 p.m. local time, which led to cracks in the ground and subsequent eruption at 10:17 p.m.²
• On Tuesday, the authorities said that the eruptive fissure is about 2.5 miles (4 km) long, with its southern end almost 2 miles (3 km) from the edge of Grindavik, adding the intensity of the eruption had been decreasing.³
• However, officials have warned that low intensity doesn't indicate how long the lava will flow but suggests instead that the eruption has reached a state of equilibrium. In addition, they caution that the size of the volcanic fissure was extending southward.³
• Meanwhile, the Icelandic government has issued a statement assuring 'the eruption does not present a threat to life,' adding, 'There are no disruptions to flights to and from Iceland and international flight corridors remain open.'⁴

Sources: ¹BBC News, ²Guardian, ³Icelandic meteorological office and ⁴Reuters.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Associated Press. This event is a spectacular show of the earth's powers. Iceland, known as the land of fire and ice, sits on a volcanic hotspot in the North Atlantic, making it one of the world's best places to observe the phenomenon. Tourists, scientists, and volcano watchers will no doubt find it hard to stay away — especially as there are currently no threats to people or infrastructure.
• Narrative B, as provided by Al Jazeera. While the volcano doesn't presently pose a risk to life — in part because of the government's pre-emptive and well-planned evacuation orders — there's no indication of how long the lava will flow. It's also unknown if this rapidly changing situation will deteriorate. This isn't a tourist attraction and emergency officials are absolutely correct to express caution about potential dangers in the future.

Predictions