BLUE LAGOON
Positioned between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates, among the many largest on the planet, Iceland is a seismic scorching spot as a result of the plates transfer in reverse instructions.
The eruption is about 30km from Reykjavik. Keflavik Worldwide Airport is considerably nearer however stays open. The Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa widespread with vacationers, has been largely closed for the reason that seismic exercise was detected.
“It might probably go on for a number of months. It might additionally simply cease later right this moment or tomorrow,” mentioned Halldor Geirson, an affiliate professor at Institute of Earth Sciences on the College of Iceland.
Lava flows had decreased from 200-250 cubic metres per second within the first two hours of the eruption to round 1 / 4 of that by Tuesday morning.
Many of the lava was flowing into an space the place there was little infrastructure, Geirson mentioned. That might change.
“There may be nonetheless a risk to Grindavik, for positive. Now the lava is flowing largely to the north, nevertheless it is dependent upon the topography and the place the openings are,” he mentioned.
In 2010, ash clouds from eruptions on the Eyafjallajokull volcano within the south of Iceland unfold over massive components of Europe, grounding some 100,000 flights in Europe and past, and forcing lots of of Icelanders to evacuate their houses.
Climate forecasting service AccuWeather mentioned this eruption was very totally different.
“If little to no volcanic ash is lofted into the ambiance, there could also be no affect to aviation,” AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter mentioned.
The 2010 affect on air journey was largely brought on by the interplay of magma with the melting water from a glacier, a special state of affairs to what’s taking place now.
Matthew Watson, professor of volcanoes and local weather on the College of Bristol in Britain, mentioned it was “not unimaginable that there could also be some affect on air journey”, though it was unlikely. “Such a eruption does not typically produce a lot ash, which is what tends to floor planes.”