GRINDAVIK, Iceland (AP) — A volcano in southwest Iceland erupted Wednesday for the fifth time since December, spewing red lava that again threatened the coastal town of Grindavik and prompted evacuations of the famous Blue Lagoon geothermal spa.
The eruption began in the early afternoon following a series of earthquakes north of town of 3,800 inhabitants which was largely evacuated in December when the volcano came back to life after centuries of dormancy and offered an impressive spectacle of the power of nature.
Although activity began to calm down in the early evening, the eruption was estimated to be the most vigorous in the region so far, as lava gushed 50 meters (165 feet) into the sky from a crack that reached 3.5 kilometers (2.1 miles) in length. » said the Icelandic Meteorological Office.
Barriers built to protect Grindavik deflected flowing lava that cut off two of the three roads leading to the town and was about to reach the third.
“It’s a much larger volume that is currently on its way to the city,” Grindavik Mayor Fannar Jónasson told national broadcaster RUV. “The lava has already conquered (many).”
Workers and anyone still in the city were ordered to leave earlier in the day, police said. The Blue Lagoon spa resort – one of Iceland’s biggest tourist attractions – was evacuated before the eruption began, the RUV said.
At one point, a dark plume of ash boiled above the crater following an explosive interaction of magma hitting groundwater, the scientists said.
The cloud did not rise high enough to initially pose a threat to aviation, but scientists were closely monitoring the situation, Jóhanna Malen Skúladóttir of the Met Office told RUV.
Grindavik, located about 50 kilometers (30 miles) southwest of Iceland’s capital Reykjavik, has been under threat since a series of earthquakes in November forced an evacuation before the initial eruption of December 18. A subsequent eruption overwhelmed some defensive walls and consumed several buildings.
The region is part of the Svartsengi volcanic system which was dormant for almost 800 years before reawakening.
The volcano erupted again in February and March. The February 8 eruption engulfed a pipeline, cutting off heat and hot water to thousands of people.
Iceland, located above a North Atlantic volcanic hotspot, sees regular breakouts and is experienced in dealing with them. The most disruptive eruption in recent times was the 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, which spewed huge clouds of ash into the atmosphere and led to widespread closure of airspace above Europe.
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Associated Press writer Brian Melley contributed from London.
News Source : apnews.com
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