Volcanic eruption on Iceland's Reykjanes peninsula releasing "considerable" toxic gases
From CNN's Mihir Melwani and Sophie Jeong in Hong Kong.
The volcanic eruption on Iceland's Reykjanes peninsula is releasing "considerable" toxic gases, the Icelandic Tourist Board said in an email to CNN on Tuesday.
"Please be advised that this eruption is releasing considerable toxic gases and people are strongly advised against visiting the site of the eruption while responders and scientists assess the situation," according to the Icelandic Tourist Board.
The eruption is not expected to impact any populated areas or critical infrastructure in the coming days, the Icelandic Tourist Board said, adding no further evacuations are planned at this stage.
The lava flow is not currently expected to reach any part of the town of Grindavik or nearby infrastructure, according to the Icelandic Tourist Board.
3 min ago
Volcanic eruption does not pose a threat to life, Icelandic government says
From CNN's Sophie Jeong in Hong Kong
The volcanic eruption on Iceland's Reykjanes peninsula does not pose a threat to life, the country's government said in a statement Tuesday.
The eruption began at 10:17 p.m. local time northeast of the town of Grindavik on the Reykjanes peninsula, according to the government. This is the fourth eruption since 2021 in the area, and the largest so far with an fissure opening of four kilometers (2.5 miles).
The area is currently closed to all traffic, the government said, while strongly warning people not to approach the area.
The nearby town of Grindavik was already evacuated on November 10 as a precaution after several days of seismic activity.
The government reported that there are no disruptions to flights to and from Iceland, and international flight corridors remain open.
The government said this eruption follows intense seismic activity over the past few weeks and is classified as a fissure eruption, which does not usually result in large explosions or significant production of ash dispersed into the stratosphere.
1 min ago
Iceland is no stranger to volcanic eruptions — but most occur away from populated areas
From CNN's Issy Ronald, Caitlin Danaher and Catherine Nicholls
An aerial photo shows the Eyjafjallajökull volcano billowing smoke and ash on April 17, 2010. Halldor Kolbeins/AFP/Getty Images
Iceland is accustomed to volcanic eruptions, but this one in its southwest peninsula is unlike the others the country has seen in recent years.
With the magma tunnel of this volcano near the coastal town of Grindavík, Iceland is facing events that it has "not experienced before, at least not since the eruption in Vestmannaeyjar,” the country’s Civil Protection Agency said last week, referencing a 1973 eruption that began without warning and destroyed 400 homes.
The eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in 2010 also had an impact on Iceland's residents, but primarily due to a different factor: glacial ice that melted and made the eruption more explosive, leading to a huge ash cloud.
About 100,000 flights were canceled when the ash threatened to stall aircraft engines and cause electrical failure.
More recently, the Bárðarbunga volcanic system situated in the center of the country erupted in 2014, producing lava that covered 84 square kilometers (32 square miles) of highland but did not damage any communities.
The Fagradalsfjall volcanic system erupted in 2021 for the first time in more than 6,000 years. It also didn’t threaten populated areas and even became a tourist attraction as people flocked to witness a volcanic eruption.
Iceland sits on a tectonic plate boundary that continually splits apart, pushing North America and Eurasia away from each other along the line of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
A powerful mantle plume — an area that is hotter than the surrounding magma — sits below it, which melts and thins the Earth’s crust. These conditions have made Iceland home to 32 active volcanoes.
15 min ago
Volcanic eruption begins in Iceland's Reykjanes peninsula
From CNN’s Mitchell McCluskey and Taylor Ward
Smoke billows from a volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula in Iceland on December 18. Kristin Elisabet Gunnarsdottir/AFP/Getty Images
A volcanic eruption has started on Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said in a statement on Monday.
The eruption began at around 10 p.m. local time, following an earthquake at around 9 p.m.
The meteorological office reported that the eruption is visible on webcams and appears to be located close to Hagafell, about 3 kilometers (about 1.8 miles) north of the town of Grindavík.
“A Coast Guard helicopter will take off shortly to confirm the exact location and size of the eruption,” the meteorological office said.
Earlier this year, residents from Grindavík and nearby settlements were evacuated from their homes as the threat of a volcanic eruption loomed.
A volcano has erupted on Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said Monday.
The eruption happened about 3 kilometers (about 1.8 miles) north of the town of Grindavík — an area where residents were evacuated from their homes earlier this year in anticipation of the eruption.
Officials said the eruption does not pose a threat to life but said the area was closed to all traffic and strongly warned people not to approach the area.
The volcanic eruption on Iceland's Reykjanes peninsula is releasing "considerable" toxic gases, the Icelandic Tourist Board said in an email to CNN on Tuesday.
"Please be advised that this eruption is releasing considerable toxic gases and people are strongly advised against visiting the site of the eruption while responders and scientists assess the situation," according to the Icelandic Tourist Board.
The eruption is not expected to impact any populated areas or critical infrastructure in the coming days, the Icelandic Tourist Board said, adding no further evacuations are planned at this stage.
The lava flow is not currently expected to reach any part of the town of Grindavik or nearby infrastructure, according to the Icelandic Tourist Board.
The volcanic eruption on Iceland's Reykjanes peninsula does not pose a threat to life, the country's government said in a statement Tuesday.
The eruption began at 10:17 p.m. local time northeast of the town of Grindavik on the Reykjanes peninsula, according to the government. This is the fourth eruption since 2021 in the area, and the largest so far with an fissure opening of four kilometers (2.5 miles).
The area is currently closed to all traffic, the government said, while strongly warning people not to approach the area.
The nearby town of Grindavik was already evacuated on November 10 as a precaution after several days of seismic activity.
The government reported that there are no disruptions to flights to and from Iceland, and international flight corridors remain open.
The government said this eruption follows intense seismic activity over the past few weeks and is classified as a fissure eruption, which does not usually result in large explosions or significant production of ash dispersed into the stratosphere.
An aerial photo shows the Eyjafjallajökull volcano billowing smoke and ash on April 17, 2010. Halldor Kolbeins/AFP/Getty Images
Iceland is accustomed to volcanic eruptions, but this one in its southwest peninsula is unlike the others the country has seen in recent years.
With the magma tunnel of this volcano near the coastal town of Grindavík, Iceland is facing events that it has "not experienced before, at least not since the eruption in Vestmannaeyjar,” the country’s Civil Protection Agency said last week, referencing a 1973 eruption that began without warning and destroyed 400 homes.
The eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in 2010 also had an impact on Iceland's residents, but primarily due to a different factor: glacial ice that melted and made the eruption more explosive, leading to a huge ash cloud.
About 100,000 flights were canceled when the ash threatened to stall aircraft engines and cause electrical failure.
More recently, the Bárðarbunga volcanic system situated in the center of the country erupted in 2014, producing lava that covered 84 square kilometers (32 square miles) of highland but did not damage any communities.
The Fagradalsfjall volcanic system erupted in 2021 for the first time in more than 6,000 years. It also didn’t threaten populated areas and even became a tourist attraction as people flocked to witness a volcanic eruption.
Iceland sits on a tectonic plate boundary that continually splits apart, pushing North America and Eurasia away from each other along the line of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
A powerful mantle plume — an area that is hotter than the surrounding magma — sits below it, which melts and thins the Earth’s crust. These conditions have made Iceland home to 32 active volcanoes.
Smoke billows from a volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula in Iceland on December 18. Kristin Elisabet Gunnarsdottir/AFP/Getty Images
A volcanic eruption has started on Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said in a statement on Monday.
The eruption began at around 10 p.m. local time, following an earthquake at around 9 p.m.
The meteorological office reported that the eruption is visible on webcams and appears to be located close to Hagafell, about 3 kilometers (about 1.8 miles) north of the town of Grindavík.
“A Coast Guard helicopter will take off shortly to confirm the exact location and size of the eruption,” the meteorological office said.
Earlier this year, residents from Grindavík and nearby settlements were evacuated from their homes as the threat of a volcanic eruption loomed.
