After several small to medium-sized earthquakes rocked Iceland’s southwest Reykjanes peninsula on Friday, the government declared a “state of emergency.” Iceland’s officials issued a warning in an official statement, stating that the nation may experience volcanic eruptions as a result of the seismic activity.
“The National police chief… declares a state of emergency for civil defense due to the intense earthquake (activity) at Sundhnjukagigar, north of Grindavik,” according to the Icelandic Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management. The administration also stated in the statement that “earthquakes can become larger than those that have occurred and this series of events could lead to an eruption.” As per the Icelandic Met Office (IMO), there is a possibility of volcanic eruptions in Iceland “in several days”. Approximately 4,000 small to medium-sized earthquakes struck the southwest coast of the Reykjanes peninsula on Friday. Preliminary IMO data indicates that the largest earthquake, which occurred north of the Reykjanes peninsula settlement of Grindavik, had a magnitude of 5.2.
According to the IMO, there have been almost 24,000 earthquakes reported on the peninsula since late October, with “a dense swarm” of about 800 quakes detected on Friday between midnight and two pm GMT. One of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland, the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, has temporarily closed owing to the threat of eruptions.
Fresh region of activity
For “security purposes,” the Icelandic Department of Civil Protection has dispatched police boats to the Grindavik earthquake site. In addition, three other places in southern Iceland and Grindavik will open emergency shelters and service centers later on Friday to provide information and support to anyone in need.
Reykjanes: Volcanic eruption center
Three explosions have rocked the Reykjanes peninsula since 2021. March 2021 was the first, August 2022 marked the second, and July 2023 marked the third. Remarkably, Iceland boasts the most number of active volcanic systems in Europe with 33. Before Mount Fagradalsfjall’s eruption in March 2021, the Reykjanes volcanic system had been dormant for eight centuries in a region that was uninhabited. A huge volcanic explosion in southern Iceland in April 2010 caused approximately 100,000 flights to delayed globally, leaving over one crore passengers stranded.
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