An eruption started on the Reykjanes Peninsula in the south of Iceland a moment ago.
The eruption is located close to Hagafell and is clearly visible from the settlements around it.
The National Police Chief, in consultation with the police chief in Suðurnes, have decided to go to the emergency level of Civil Defense due to the eruption in Reykjanes.
Aerial footage shows lava spilling out of the erupted volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula threatening to flow into nearby Grindavík. (Image credit: Iceland Public Defence / Handout/Anadolu/Getty Images
This amazing hot spring is about 15km from the potential site of a volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula in extreme SW ísland. The video only hints at the scene with a powerful plume of superheated steam erupting laterally. The steam is well above the boiling point of water. The site is noisy, and and it is damp as the cool air causes quick condensation of the steam. For anyone who, like me, is in fascinated awe of geologic processes, the scene is not to be missed!
Incredible Footage of the Volcanic Eruption in Iceland
On December 18, a volcano surfaced on Iceland's Reykjanes peninsula, near Grindavik and the Blue Lagoon. This event marked the awakening of volcanoes in the region after an eight-century dormancy.
The emergence was triggered by the movement of the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates pulling apart.
Preceding the eruption, the area had been experiencing earthquakes for two months. Due to concerns that the volcano might surface under Grindavik, a town with nearly four thousand residents, evacuation measures were implemented on November 10.
The area was evacuated ca a month ago, there have been no reports of casualties. This was expected but the intensity of the eruption has exceeded expectations.