Eruption Decreases Overnight, Infrastructure Suffers Damage

A new eruption began along the Sundhnúksgígar crater at 23:14 on Wednesday, November 20. The situation on the morning of November 21 is the following, reports RÚV.

Lava began flowing over Grindavíkurvegur around 5:00 this morning, causing the road to be closed.

Hjördís Guðmundsdóttir, spokesperson for Civil Protection, stated this morning that she was not concerned about infrastructure, despite the lava reaching the road. As of 5:00, the lava front was approximately one kilometer from Njarðvíkuræð. A geotechnical engineer from Efla confirmed that Njarðvíkuræð and other nearby infrastructure were well protected.

Lava flow decreased overnight

Benedikt Ófeigsson, a deformation measurement specialist at the Icelandic Met Office, reported that lava flow had significantly decreased overnight. Activity had diminished at both the northern and southern ends of the eruption fissure.

The Icelandic Met Office stated that maximum activity likely occurred around 1:00 last night.

Freysteinn Sigmundsson, a geophysicist, noted that the warning for the eruption was brief. While magma was accumulating, eruptions do not always behave the same way. He emphasised the need for caution, as nature can be unpredictable. The lack of seismic activity in recent weeks, unlike previous eruptions, is unusual.

First damages and change in patterns

The fiber optic cable to Grindavík was damaged due to the eruption, but Hjördís Guðmundsdóttir, the information representative for the Public Safety Agency, reassured that the impact should be minimal. The fiber optic traffic had been redirected in anticipation of such an event.

Although the eruption appears to have peaked last night, the lava flow has slowed somewhat since then, continuing to flow westward.

Experts from the Icelandic Met Office are currently reviewing data in a meeting. The situation will be reassessed afterward, but it’s clear that the eruption is considerably smaller than the one in August.

It’s been noted that seismic activity did not increase in the weeks leading up to this eruption, which could suggest a change in patterns.

According to drone measurements by the National Police Commissioner’s special unit, the eruption has decreased by 600 meters from the southern end. This is reported on the Icelandic Met Office’s website.

The greatest activity is now focused in the middle of the fissure, between Stóra-Skógfell and Sýlingarfell.

By 8:00, the lava tube had reached the hot water pipeline from Svartsengi to Reykjanesbær, known as Njarðvíkuræð. By 6:00, the lava had spread across nearly seven square kilometers.

The Svartsengi power line, which connects to the Svartsengi power plant, was damaged by the lava flow. Repairs are unlikely to begin until the volcanic eruption has ended. The transmission system is now stable after power outages and fluctuations caused by the line damage.

Three backup generators are on standby and can be moved to Grindavik on short notice if requested by the Civil Protection Agency.

Landsnet urges residents of Reykjanes to stay informed and follow the instructions on the websites of the Civil Protection Agency and energy companies.

UPDATE: The lava reached the parking lot of the Blue Lagoon around midday today. The Lagoon’s CEO believes that the protective barriers will safeguard all activities at the tourist site.

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