There is a threat of a volcanic eruption in Iceland. Hundreds of earthquakes could be a harbinger of this. An entire city has already been evacuated.
Reykjavik – At the end of October, hundreds of tremors worried residents on the Reykjanes Peninsula, southwest of Iceland’s capital Reykjavik. A volcanic eruption could now be imminent. The earthquakes increased in intensity and frequency again on Friday afternoon (November 10th).
Is a volcanic eruption imminent in Iceland? 500 earthquakes in one night
Europe’s largest volcano recently erupted in Italy. It is currently unclear whether such a natural spectacle will also occur in Iceland. The situation had calmed down somewhat on Monday night (November 13th). A possible eruption is therefore unlikely to be as strong as feared at the weekend, geophysicist Freysteinn Sigmundsson told the news portal RUV.
There were around 500 earthquakes on Wednesday night (November 15th), said RUV with. The strongest, with a magnitude of 2.6, indicated that more magma was flowing. According to calculations, it is only about 500 meters from the earth’s surface.
Possible impending volcanic eruption in Iceland: city is evacuated
To be on the safe side, the town of Grindavík, with around 3,700 residents, was evacuated at the weekend. A 15-kilometer-long magma tunnel runs beneath the community. This was also indicated by huge cracks in the ground, as pictures and videos on social media showed. According to civil protection chief Vídir Reynisson, the damage in Grindavík is greater than previously assumed. Water and power lines were damaged.
At times there was a kilometer-long queue of cars in front of the port city. Residents were allowed to return to their homes again on Tuesday (November 14th) – but only briefly. Within a few minutes they had to get their most important half-wishers to safety. “Just in and out,” one of the security guards emphasized to a resident. He could enter the area under one condition: “If the sirens, sirens or similar sound, you must leave the area. Drop everything and disappear.”
Within five minutes: residents save belongings from a possible volcanic eruption
On Monday (November 13th) people came back to the city for a similar event. Each household was only given five minutes to take important items. The police checked the access and after a while no more cars were allowed in due to the large crowds. Another action is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, reported RUV. The impending volcanic eruption also has an impact on holidaymakers.
Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur again and again in Iceland. Most recently, a volcanic eruption occurred in July for the third year in a row. Even then, thousands of tremors heralded the eruption. However, after an eruption of a volcanic system in Iceland in 2010, air traffic had to be stopped in large parts of Northern and Central Europe. (kas/dpa)
#Magma #tunnel #making #residents #film #huge #cracks