No Activity At The Eruption Fissure, But Lava Still Glows

No activity has been observed at the eruption fissure north of Grindavík since yesterday afternoon. However, the lava continues to glow, and the area remains unstable and hazardous, reports Vísir.

According to the notice by Icelandic Met Office’s natural hazard monitoring team, seismic activity on the Reykjanes Peninsula began to subside around 21:00 last night. The trigger earthquake activity near Reykjanestá has shifted southwest toward Eldey, and continued seismic activity is expected as the area stabilises.

“Over the past 24 hours, approximately 2,800 earthquakes have been recorded on the Reykjanes Peninsula and the Reykjanes Ridge in connection with the magma intrusion,” the statement reads. The MetOffice has received numerous reports of tremors felt in populated areas, ranging from Hrútafjörður to Kirkjubæjarklaustur.

“Towards the end of the night, seismic activity was somewhat dispersed along the magma intrusion, from Stóra-Skógfellin the south to Vatnsleysuheiði in the north, with depths remaining around 4-6 km,” the notice continues.

An eruption began south of Þorbjörn at 9:20 yesterday morning. The initial fissure was just north of the protective barrier around Grindavík, measuring an estimated 700 metres in length.

The Grapevine visited the eruption site around noon yesterday, just before the activity began to slow down. Watch our report below.

The accompanying photo was taken July 2023, during a previous eruption.

Follow the Grapevine’s ongoing volcano coverage.