A volcano near Iceland’s capital erupted on Wednesday night, marking the seventh eruption in the area since December. The eruption occurred on November 20, 2024, in the Reykjanes Peninsula, with a fissure estimated to be about 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) long.
- Volcano near Iceland's capital erupted Wednesday night.
- Fissure length estimated at 3 kilometers.
- Air traffic remained normal after eruption.
- Blue Lagoon and hotels evacuated as precaution.
- Grindavík town not threatened by lava flow.
- Iceland is highly active volcanic region.
The eruption began shortly after 11 p.m. local time, with updates from the Icelandic Met Office indicating that the fissure had stopped expanding three hours later. Air traffic to and from Iceland was reported to be operating normally the following day. The latest eruption is significantly smaller than the previous one on August 22, which featured a 4-kilometer fissure. Evacuations were carried out at a geothermal power plant and two hotels at the Blue Lagoon, which has faced closures due to volcanic activity over the past year. A spokesperson from the Icelandic Tourist Board confirmed that the eruption occurred in the same location as the August eruption and reassured that the town of Grindavík was not in danger from the lava flow. Since January 2020, there have been ten eruptions on the Reykjanes Peninsula, highlighting the region’s volcanic activity.
Iceland’s population is nearly 400,000, and the country is situated on a geologic border between North America and Europe, making it one of the most active volcanic regions in the world. Last year, the country experienced over 1,000 earthquakes in a single day, underscoring its dynamic geological environment.
