Lava Spills Over Defensive Walls Near Grindavík

The lava near Grindavík has amassed in volume higher than the defensive berms surrounding the area. In some places, the lava reaches four metres over the fortifications, RÚV reports. In some places, lava effectively spills into the designated safe zone.

The rate of magma flowing into the reservoir beneath Svartsengi, which feeds the ongoing eruption at Sundhnúkur, has remained steady since the eruption on March 16. Volcanologists estimate that magma inflow into the reservoir is greater than the outflow, pointing to a possible escalation of eruption activity in the Sundhnúkur crater row.

On April 26, Jóhanna Malen Skúladóttir, natural disaster specialist at the Icelandic Met Office, said in a conversation with RÚV that ground uplift near Svartsengi has slowed down, similar to the events leading up to previous magma shifts.

Contractors are currently working on restoring the defensive berms near Grindavík, while another eruption is imminent.