A new crack has opened at the eruption site in Geldingadalur over the weekend.
According to a natural hazards expert at the Icelandic Meteorological Office, it is believed the crack opened on Friday night at 3 o’clock. The crack is between the one that opened over Easter and the one that opened on Wednesday.
Take me right into the danger zone!
The four cracks that have now opened are all inside the area that experts consider to be a danger area.
A map issued yesterday by the Icelandic Meteorological Office, the Institute of Earth Sciences at the University of Iceland and the Icelandic Civil Defence has demarcated a considerable area near the eruption sites in Geldingadalur, which is considered a danger area.
Icelandic Meteorological Office
In the danger area, it is most likely that more eruption fissures will open without notice with the associated sudden lava flow.
Open to the public
Hjálmar Hallgrímsson, site manager at the police in Suðurnes, says there are few at the eruption sites now, but the area will not be opened to public access until noon.
“There is no closed area in this way. What we want to ensure by being open from twelve to twelve is to have a minimum guard in the area so that it is possible to help people if they encounter anything. Outside that time, this is just a call-out if something happens to people,” says Hjálmar.
Today, gas pollution probably spreads over the western part of the Reykjanes peninsula, from Vogar east to Hafnir. In this area, air quality is likely to be unhealthy for the vulnerable.
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