Lava is now flowing out of a new fissure that has opened up at Geldingadalur. The Icelandic Meteorological Office noticed around midnight and have stated it is difficult to detect the size of the crack right now.
Einar Hjörleifsson, a nature conservation specialist at the Icelandic Meteorological Office, told Vísir that rescue teams saw the crack in formation yesterday. It has been measured about 420 metres northeast of Geldingadalur.
An announcement from the Icelandic Meteorological Office states:
At midnight, the third earthquake opened.
It is between the two eruption sites (in Geldingadalur and north of Meradalur). Rescue teams had seen a depression in the area yesterday about 420 meters northeast of the recording area in Geldingadalur, which was about 150m long and about 1 meter deep. We believe that this is where the eruption started.
The lava [coming out of the fissure] does not reach between the two craters at the moment, you can see that the lava from the new lava flows in Geldingadalur on webcams in the area.
A new chapter in the saga of Geldingadalur
Volcanologist and seismologist Kristín Jónsdóttir told Vísir a new chapter is beginning in the eruption in Geldingadalur, now that new cracks have opened.
She also thinks it’s quite likely that a new crack will open to closer to Keilir.
Kristín pointed out that the eruption had remained fairly stable for some time after it began on March 19 and there had been little change in activity.
“So it should start to break like this to the northeast rather suddenly, of course there is a new chapter in this story. This is all on the same crack, this is the line that the corridor drew for us that extends from Nátthaga and the long way northeast to Keilir, “said Kristín.
Ready and waiting
Kári Rafn Þorbergsson, a rescue squad member in the Air Rescue Squad in Hella, is one of four who was on duty at the eruption site last night. That number has increased since a new crack opened at midnight.
Kári has said that the new fissure has opened up where people were standing last week.
Volcanologist Þorvaldur Þórðarson said in the evening news of Stöð 2 that it was most likely that a new crack would open between the two fissures that were already open, which was the case.
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