Latest news with #BenediktOfeigsson
The Guardian
5 days ago
- The Guardian
Volcano on Reykjanes peninsula in Iceland erupts for ninth time since 2023
A volcano erupted on Wednesday on Iceland's Reykjanes peninsula in the south-west of the country, the ninth eruption in region since the end of 2023. The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) said the eruption had begun just before 4am local time (05:00 BST), and live video feeds showed lava spewing from a fissure in the ground. The IMO later said the main fissure was about 1.5 miles (2.4km) long, and that a second fissure of about 500 metres long had opened up nearby. Residents were advised to say indoors because high levels of toxic gas in the air. The broadcaster RUV reported that a nearby fishing village, Grindavík, had been evacuated, as had the Blue Lagoon spa, a famous tourist spot. Police commissioner Margrét Kristín Pálsdóttir told RUV the evacuation of about 100 people had gone smoothly. She also said police had prevented some tourists from entering the area. 'Of course, we understand that this is a fascinating event, especially for tourists who are not as accustomed to it as we are,' she said. Benedikt Ófeigsson, a geophysicist with the IMO, told RUV that the eruption didn't seem as big as earlier ones and was not near any infrastructure. The last eruption in the area was in April, and a risk assessment published on Tuesday didn't expect another eruption until the autumn. When the first eruption took place in late 2023, most of Grindavík's 4,000 residents were evacuated. Almost all of the homes in the village have since been sold to the state, and most of the residents have left. Volcanoes on the Reykjanes peninsula had not erupted for eight centuries when a period of heightened seismic activity began in March 2021. Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion Volcanologists have said in recent years that activity in the region had entered a new era. RUV said the latest eruption was not expected to affect international flights. An eruption in another part of Iceland in 2010 caused worldwide travel chaos when an ash cloud forced the closure of airspace. Iceland has 33 active volcanic systems, more than any other European country. It is located on the mid-atlantic ridge, a fault line in the ocean floor between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates.
CNA
6 days ago
- CNA
Iceland volcano erupts for ninth time since 2023
REYKJAVIK: A volcano erupted on Iceland's Reykjanes peninsula in the southwest on Wednesday (July 16), marking the ninth such event in the region since late 2023, according to weather authorities. Live footage showed lava spewing from a fissure in the ground, with the Icelandic Met Office saying the eruption began just before 4.00am local time (0400 GMT). Later in the day, the weather agency reported that the main fissure stretched approximately 2.4 kilometres (1.5 miles), and a second smaller fissure of about 500 metres had opened nearby. EVACUATIONS AND HEALTH WARNINGS Residents were advised to stay indoors due to elevated gas pollution levels. The nearby fishing village of Grindavik and the popular Blue Lagoon tourist attraction were both evacuated, broadcaster RUV reported. Police Commissioner Margret Kristin Palsdottir told RUV that around 100 people were evacuated from Grindavik and the operation had gone smoothly. She added that police had stopped some tourists from entering the danger zone. "Of course, we understand that this is a fascinating event, especially for tourists who are not as accustomed to it as we are," Palsdottir said. ERUPTION CONSIDERED LESS SEVERE Geophysicist Benedikt Ofeigsson told RUV the eruption appeared smaller than previous ones and was well-situated, as it was not close to any critical infrastructure. A risk assessment released on Tuesday had predicted no new eruptions before the autumn. The last eruption in the area occurred in April. When the first eruption hit in late 2023, most of Grindavik's 4,000 residents were evacuated. Since then, nearly all of the town's homes have been sold to the state and most residents have relocated. The Reykjanes peninsula had remained dormant for eight centuries until a period of increased seismic activity began in March 2021. Volcanologists have since warned that the region may be entering a new era of regular volcanic activity. The latest eruption was not expected to impact international air travel, RUV said. In contrast, a 2010 volcanic eruption in another part of Iceland caused widespread disruption after volcanic ash grounded flights across Europe. Iceland sits atop the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a tectonic boundary that separates the Eurasian and North American plates. It is home to 33 active volcanic systems, the most of any country in Europe.
The Guardian
6 days ago
- The Guardian
Volcano on Reykjanes peninsula in Iceland erupts for ninth time since 2023
A volcano erupted on Wednesday on Iceland's Reykjanes peninsula in the south-west of the country, the ninth eruption in region since the end of 2023. The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) said the eruption had begun just before 4am local time (05:00 BST), and live video feeds showed lava spewing from a fissure in the ground. The IMO later said the main fissure was about 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometres) long, and that a second fissure of about 500 metres long had opened up nearby. Residents were advised to say indoors because high levels of toxic gas in the air. The broadcaster RUV reported that the nearby fishing village Grindavík had been evacuated, as had the Blue Lagoon spa, a famous tourist spot. Police commissioner Margrét Kristín Pálsdóttir told RUV the evacuation of about 100 people had gone smoothly. She also said police had prevented some tourists from entering the area. 'Of course, we understand that this is a fascinating event, especially for tourists who are not as accustomed to it as we are,' she said. Benedikt Ófeigsson, a geophysicist with the IMO, told RUV that the eruption didn't seem as big as earlier ones and was not near any infrastructure. The previous eruption in the area was in April, and a risk assessment published on Tuesday didn't expect another eruption until the autumn. When the first eruption took place in late 2023, most of Grindavík's 4,000 residents were evacuated. Almost all of the homes in the village have since been sold to the state, and most of the residents have left. Volcanoes on the Reykjanes peninsula had not erupted for eight centuries when in a period of heightened seismic activity began in March 2021. Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion Volcanologists have said in recent years that activity in the region had entered a new era. RUV said the latest eruption was not expected to affect international flights. An eruption in another part of Iceland in 2010 caused worldwide travel chaos when an ash cloud forced the closure of airspace. Iceland has 33 active volcanic systems, more than any other European country. It is located on the mid-atlantic ridge, a fault line in the ocean floor between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates.
France 24
6 days ago
- France 24
Iceland volcano erupts for ninth time since 2023
Live video feeds showed lava spewing out of a fissure in the ground, with the Icelandic Met Office saying that it began just before 4:00 am (0400 GMT). The weather agency later in the day reported that the main fissure was estimated to be 2.4 kilometres (1.5 miles) long, and that a second smaller fissure, about 500 metres long, had opened up nearby. Due to high levels of gas pollution in the air, residents were advised to stay indoors. Broadcaster RUV reported that the nearby fishing village Grindavik had been evacuated, as had the Blue Lagoon, Iceland's famed tourist spot. Police Commissioner Margret Kristin Palsdottir, told the broadcaster that the evacuation of the some 100 people staying in the village had gone smoothly. Palsdottir also said they had prevented some tourists from entering the area. "Of course, we understand that this is a fascinating event, especially for tourists who are not as accustomed to it as we are," Palsdottir said. Geophysicist Benedikt Ofeigsson told RUV that the eruption didn't seem as big as earlier ones and was in a good location as it wasn't near any infrastructure. The previous eruption to hit the area was in April, and a risk assessment published on Tuesday didn't expect another eruption until this autumn. When the first volcanic eruption first hit the area in late 2023, most of Grindavik's 4,000 residents were evacuated. Since then, almost all of the houses have been sold to the state, and most of the residents have left. Volcanoes on the Reykjanes peninsula had not erupted for eight centuries when in March 2021 a period of heightened seismic activity began. Volcanologists have warned in recent years that volcanic activity in the region had entered a new era. RUV said the latest eruption was not expected to impact international flights. A volcanic eruption in another part of Iceland in 2010 caused worldwide travel chaos as the ash spewed into the atmosphere sparked airspace closures in Europe. Iceland is home to 33 active volcanic systems, more than any other European country. It is located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a fault in the ocean floor that separates the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates and causes earthquakes and eruptions. © 2025 AFP
