With the city and surrounding areas shaking (1600x earthquakes in the last 24 hours) it seems Iceland's newest volcano is about to erupt.
That would make it the third time it does so, with each instance spaced with about roughly a year between.
src: https://en.vedur.is/earthquakes-and-volcanism/earthquakes
We are so close to it kicking off now...
Magma is reportedly less than 1km underneath the surface, and slowly breaking its way up.
The magma chamber has also been reported to have an inflow rate of twice the amount it has had each other time. And so the start of the eruption is expected to be more powerful than at previous times.
And finally the pimple has burst 🌋
Live feeds can be found here
https://www.ruv.is/frettir/innlent/2023-07-06-beint-streymi-fra-fagradalsfjalli-387091
A better stream:
https://www.visir.is/g/20232438284d/liklega-gos-hafid-a-reykjanesi
Ok, so it would seem this time the eruption is much larger (at T+X into the eruption) than the two previous times.
Massive gas polution, and all routes in are being closed and surrounding area evacuated.
This video shows the scope
https://ruv-vod-clips.akamaized.net/e670dd48-9296-405f-85ac-56c5fedfa8ad.mp4
Earthquakes are very common, and on a geological scale so are eruptions. So in that sense this is 'Iceland as usual'.
However the frequency of this particular volcano (having erupted twice in two years, and likely to erupt again now) is unusual.
But this would be a very small and 'cute' eruption that does not pose any risk to travelers nor air traffic in the country. Nothing like the '10 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull.
Hrafn
Ed Freyfogle
berndandeweg
Michael Porter