Video Shows Massive Volcano Erupting in Iceland
Intense seismic activity before the Sundhnukur volcano eruption prompted Icelandic authorities to evacuate surrounding areas, including hotels and the popular Blue Lagoon resort nearby.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office reported the eruption officially began at 3:56 a.m. local time.
Following updates from the office noted that the fissure in the earth's crust where lava was flowing was roughly 700 to 1,000 meters long, with lava flowing southeast and not approaching any infrastructure.
The office's updates also include some photos of lava flowing as well as images displaying where the gas pollution from the eruption is heading.
A video, published by afarTV, of the eruption provides the clearest look the impressive scene, though.
A link to the video can be found here.
Iceland's meteorological office began reporting updates on the situation at 1:20 a.m. local time, noting, "Intense seismic swarm has started on the Sundhnúksgígar Crater Row and monitoring data is indicating that an dike intrusion has started."
"The likelihood of an eruption remains high while the intrusion is ongoing," the report continued.
The office also reported later in the day at 8:45 a.m. local time a warning about dangerous "Witch's hair" in the area of the eruption.
"These are fine glass fibers formed when lava droplets cool rapidly and stretch," the report noted. "They are very light and can travel long distances. Witch's hair can cause skin and eye irritation, and people are advised to take precautions when outdoors near the eruption site."
The most recent update from the office, published at noon local time, noted the eruption has spread and "is no longer confined to a single fissure."
The original fissure, which was as big as one kilometer has now spread to roughly 2.4 kilometers, or just over one mile, and another fissure has opened up that's roughly 500 meters wide.
This is the 12th eruption for Iceland in just the last four years, according to Al-Jazeera.
Video Shows Massive Volcano Erupting in Iceland first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 16, 2025
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