What happened to the eruption of Grindavik volcano in Iceland? – NRK Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country

Late on a Friday evening in mid-November, the town of Grindavik in Iceland was evacuated.

The reason is that the authorities expected a volcanic eruption to occur in the area after a period that witnessed very many earthquakes.

The population of about 3,700 had a few hours to get away from the small town, which lies just a few miles from the capital, Reykjavik.

In the days and weeks that followed, Icelanders held their breath as they waited for the outbreak to spread. Many fear that the eruption will destroy large parts of the city.

Then keep going. There was no volcanic eruption. Now, there are also fewer and smaller earthquakes.

What really happened with the outbreak, and what’s happening now?

Why was there no outbreak?

Researchers don’t know for sure.

When Father was at his greatest, it was collected Magma He found himself in the area and made his way into what looked like an underground tunnel. Parts of this tunnel are located under Grindavík.

In practice, a volcanic eruption could have occurred at any time along this tunnel.

At some point it was The magma is likely only a few hundred meters below the surface.

New information indicates that magma is no longer flowing into the tunnel. One theory is that You may have frozen.

The probability of an eruption above a magma tunnel in this round of activity on the Reykjanes Peninsula has declined sharply, the Meteorological Institute of Iceland wrote in 2016. Updated on December 6.

What happens to the population?

After their evacuation, Grindavik residents had to return to their homes for short periods to collect important belongings.

They are still not allowed to move indoors again, but are now allowed to stay home between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m., and businesses are also allowed to be in the city during the same time period.

The governing authorities still believe that spending the night there is not safe, but they will conduct a new assessment in the new year, according to the Icelandic Public Broadcasting Corporation. RÚV.

At an information meeting on Tuesday, residents learned that careful assessments must be made before they can return to their homes.

In any case, they will meet a different city than the one they left. Because the numerous earthquakes caused serious damage to homes and roads.

The insurance company appreciates that Damage was likely to have been caused between NOK 450 and NOK 600 millionBut it can reach 750 million.

Could there be an outbreak later?

Yes, there could be a volcanic eruption later. No one knows when – or how big.

There are still earthquakes in the areaBut it is lower and weaker than it was earlier this winter.

Measurements on Tuesday showed that The land still rises around SvartsinjeJust north of Grindavík. It is a sign that magma is collecting there.

As long as this happens, there is also a risk that the magma will start moving in underground tunnels.

There is also a risk of a volcanic eruption in the area, according to the Meteorological Institute.

If the magma starts moving, it will likely flow in the same way as it did last time — that is, during the Grindavik era, the institute wrote in its report. Updated December 12.

Experts believe that the most likely place for a future volcanic eruption will be directly north of the city.

But they’re also clear about one thing: It’s difficult to predict if or when magma will move again.

If that happens, it can also happen in a short time.

The uncertainty about the timing is large and the magma could move either in the next few days or perhaps in several months, the institute wrote. Updated on December 8.

Why are there so many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in Iceland?

Since March 2021, there have been three volcanic eruptions on the Reykjanes Peninsula. There are likely to be more outbreaks of the disease in the coming years.

Many geologists The area is believed to be in a “volcanic eruption period.”, i.e. a period of increased activity. It can last several hundred years.

Newspaper Kjarnen I write that in one of these periods there were 6-8 eruptions in 50-100 years.

In general, Iceland One of the countries in the world with the largest number of volcanoes And The greatest danger is earthquakes.

There are specifically two on the island Continental plates Slide away from each other. When these plates move, it causes earthquakes.

The areas where these plates meet usually have more volcanoes than other places.