Posted on 03/19/2021 10:53:55 PM PDT by caww
A long-dormant volcano in southwest Iceland erupted on Friday 25 milesfrom the capital Reykjavik, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said.
Local media reported inbound and outgoing air traffic had been halted from Keflavik International Airport, the country's largest, servicing the capital. The eruption followed thousands of smaller earthquakes in the area in recent weeks, with officials bracing for an eruption as a result. 'Color code red'
"We ask people to stay calm and not under any circumstances go close to the eruption site or on Reykjanesbraut. First responders need to be able to drive freely to assess the situation. Scientists are working on assessing the eruption," police said. Iceland's Minister of Justice Aslaug Arna Sigurbjornsdottir shared an image of the eruption showing a night sky glowing bright red.
The Icelandic Police Department said it expected volcanic gas pollution to extend as far as the southern coast of the Ölfus municipality, where at least 2,000 people live, almost 50 kilometers away from Reykjavik. Authorities added that the pollution might continue through the night, urging people to stay indoors and keep windows shut.
(Excerpt) Read more at dw.com ...
This is what happens when you form your country on a giant rip in the Earth’s crust.
Iceland has 32 volcanic systems.... the highest number in Europe
Volcanic eruptions in the region are known as effusive eruptions, where lava flows steadily out of the ground, as opposed to explosive ones which spew ash clouds high into the sky.
The Krysuvik volcanic system has been inactive for the past 900 years, according to the IMO, while the last eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula dates back almost 800 years, to 1240.
A giant rip in the Earth’s crust. That is what Hawaii is.
What a dramatic picture. So glad my new Chromebook allows me to enlarge items on the screen. Hope this event does not damage air transport, or ruin the growing season in Europe like the Laki Fissure eruption in 1783(?)did, helping to cause the French Revolution.
Well they’ve closed the air space already....no doubt they’re watching this closely.
The Icelandic Met Office (IMO) announced earlier today, that the total number of earthquakes in the region has exceeded 34,000 since the onset of the seismic swarm about 2 weeks ago.
For comparison, it had about 3,400 quakes in the whole of 2020, which also had shown elevated activity, while the average during the previous years was in the range of 1,000-3,000 quakes per year.
So, in geologic terms, it's been inactive since last Tuesday(?)
landmark Blue Lagoon, some 45 km west of the Icelandic capital Reykjavik, on March 19, 2021
Man, just try getting that moniker on the back of a sports jersey!
Hawaii sits atop a basically stationary "hot spot", not a tectonic plate spreading center.
Trump’s fault. Trump and those damned SUVs.
Women and minorities hardest hit.
[and not under any circumstances go close to the eruption site or on Reykjanesbraut.]
Well, at least not without a new box of Scrabble.
“Reykjanesbraut”
Well, that’s a 30 score.
On a serious note, that is quite a picture.
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