Latest news with #Reykjanes
Jordan Times
6 days ago
- Climate
- Jordan Times
Iceland engulfed by volcanic cloud
REYKJAVIK (AFP) - Iceland experts on Monday blamed a lack of wind for a volcanic cloud that has lingered over much of the island since an eruption last week. Two craters of a volcano on the Reykjanes peninsula spewed out the sulphur-packed cloud on Wednesday. The thick haze has left the capital Reykjavik and the southwest of the country in a pollution red alert, the highest level in Iceland's monitoring system. Hylnur Arnason of the Icelandic Energy and Environment Agency said that volcanic eruptions normally cause air pollution, mainly from the sulphur dioxide that is emitted. The gas becomes sulfate in the atmosphere, creating a volcanic fog. "It's completely misty in large parts of the country," said Arnason. "Usually in Iceland we have lots of wind, which would carry the pollution away, but right now we don't," the expert added. "Now it's kind of just sitting over the whole country." Arnason said the gas was not toxic but could be an "irritant". The environment agency has recommended that vulnerable people should remain at home and take precautions against the pollution. The wind was expected to start strengthening again late Monday.
Asharq Al-Awsat
21-07-2025
- Climate
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Iceland Engulfed by Volcanic Cloud
Iceland experts on Monday blamed a lack of wind for a volcanic cloud that has lingered over much of the island since an eruption last week. Two craters of a volcano on the Reykjanes peninsula spewed out the sulphur-packed cloud on Wednesday, AFP reported. The thick haze has left the capital Reykjavik and the southwest of the country in a pollution red alert, the highest level in Iceland's monitoring system. Hylnur Arnason of the Icelandic Energy and Environment Agency said that volcanic eruptions normally cause air pollution, mainly from the sulphur dioxide that is emitted. The gas becomes sulfate in the atmosphere, creating a volcanic fog. "It's completely misty in large parts of the country," said Arnason. "Usually in Iceland we have lots of wind, which would carry the pollution away, but right now we don't," the expert added. "Now it's kind of just sitting over the whole country." Arnason said the gas was not toxic but could be an "irritant". The environment agency has recommended that vulnerable people should remain at home and take precautions against the pollution. The wind was expected to start strengthening again late Monday.
CNA
21-07-2025
- Climate
- CNA
Iceland engulfed by volcanic pollution cloud
REYKJAVIK: A volcanic cloud has lingered over much of Iceland since last week's eruption, with experts on Monday (July 21) blaming the unusual lack of wind. Two craters on the Reykjanes peninsula began spewing sulphur-rich gas on Wednesday, creating a thick haze that has pushed the capital Reykjavik and the country's southwest into a red alert for pollution — the highest level on Iceland's scale. 'Volcanic eruptions normally cause air pollution, mainly from sulphur dioxide emissions,' said Hylnur Arnason of the Icelandic Energy and Environment Agency. 'The gas becomes sulfate in the atmosphere, creating a volcanic fog.' 'It's completely misty in large parts of the country,' he told reporters. 'Usually in Iceland we have lots of wind, which would carry the pollution away, but right now we don't. Now it's kind of just sitting over the whole country.' Arnason said the gas was not toxic but could cause irritation. The environment agency has advised vulnerable people to stay indoors and take precautions.
The National
18-07-2025
- The National
Best photos of July 18: Wildfires in France to drying tomatoes in Tunisia
People walk past dried lava from previous volcanic activity as they make their way to watch the fresh eruption near Grindavik, Reykjanes, in south-west Iceland. EPA
The Guardian
17-07-2025
- 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.
