Iceland prepares for volcanic eruption as road damage is revealed
The deserted city of Grindavik in Iceland features wavy and cracked asphalt roads, indicative of hundreds of earthquakes that have occurred in the area. The city is preparing for an eruption from the Fagradalsfjall volcano, and all three thousand residents of Grindavik have been evacuated. According to reports from scientists, there is a magma tunnel located right beneath the city.
10:18 AM EST, November 12, 2023
The Icelandic authorities, as reported by Reuters, have successfully completed the evacuation of Grindavik's 3,000 residents. The southwestern region of the island is at risk of a volcanic eruption due to a series of sustained earthquakes.
Quoting the Icelandic Meteorological Office's views, the report mentions a significant risk of eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula. Meteorologists believe that "the magma tunnel could extend to the town".
Icelandic road authorities have cautioned people to stay away from the Grindavik area due to not only possible earthquakes and erosion, but also because of the deteriorating condition of the roads, as depicted in the attached pictures.
RUV.is, a local Icelandic portal, stated that the magma tunnel is approximately 1.5 km deep (equivalent to about 0.93 miles). With a length of twelve kilometers (around 7.5 miles), it starts from the location of Stóra-Skógfell, going southwest under the western part of Grindavik and extending slightly into the sea.
In recent weeks, seismic monitors have recorded thousands of tremors around the volcano. More than 20 thousand have been registered in the southwestern part of the country, starting since late October.
Professor Thorvaldur Thordarson, a volcanology professor, speculates that if an eruption is likely to happen, it will probably occur in Grindavik where the magma is the shallowest. It also has the potential to appear along the entire rift.
Following the evacuation on Friday, the streets of Grindavik have become deserted. Multiple districts of Grindavik faced power outages, triggered by a distribution system failure. Landslides led to pipe ruptures and damage to transmission stations because of the earthquakes, according to RUV.is.
Visible damage can also be witnessed on a nearby golf course.
Due to increased seismic activities reported on Thursday, the renowned geothermal spa, Blue Lagoon, has been temporarily closed, and the closure is expected to last for a week.
