Comparable tremors have been noticed forward of volcanic eruptions previously, and the Icelandic Meteorological Workplace mentioned that magma actions have been a possible trigger for the persevering with exercise. The company has warned that an eruption might happen inside days or even weeks.
“The 2 tectonic plates are transferring away from one another, and that motion has created the situations for magma to come back to the floor,” mentioned Freysteinn Sigmundsson, a analysis professor of geophysics on the College of Iceland.
Dr. Einarsson mentioned that out of the 5 volcanoes within the Reykjanes space, magma motion had been noticed close to at the very least three of them because the seismic episode started in December 2019. “We could also be getting into a brand new energetic interval within the peninsula,” he added. “There appears to be meals for some eruption.”
Iceland has about 30 energetic volcanoes, however volcanologists say an eruption in Reykjanes gained’t threaten inhabited areas on the peninsula. “We’re speaking about an effusive eruption, reasonably than explosive,” mentioned Dr. Sigmundsson, explaining that the lava would probably bubble out with little explosive drive.
He added that any exercise is unlikely to be as disruptive because the eruption that occurred in 2010, when another volcano in Iceland launched a plume of ash so huge that it brought on one of the vital important air-traffic interruptions in a long time, stranding tens of millions of passengers in Europe, some for weeks.
The meteorological workplace mentioned the volcanic exercise might happen close to Fagradalsfjall, 20 miles south of Reykjavik, or close to the Keilir mountain shut by. A whole bunch of volcano fans have been riveted to live cameras in the area, and a website asking “Has there been an eruption but?” has saved them up-to-date. (It nonetheless learn “Nei” — No — as of Thursday afternoon, however a playlist on the web site helped with the wait.)
The meteorological workplace mentioned that amongst attainable eventualities, the continued seismic actions might lower within the coming days or even weeks, however the peninsula might additionally face extra earthquakes, up to magnitude 6.5.