Status: 08.11.2023, 05:43 a.m.
By: Teresa Toth, Romina Kunze
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The "island of fire and ice" is shaking: a magma flow beneath Iceland has recently lifted parts of the Earth. A clear harbinger of an imminent eruption, experts believe.
Reykjavik – Iceland is seething. Geological activity underground in the Nordic island nation is not uncommon – the country is considered one of the most volcanically active areas in the world. Statistically, Iceland experiences a volcanic eruption every four years. The reason for this is its unique tectonic composition. The next outbreak is probably imminent.
For almost two weeks, the underground movements on the Reykjanes peninsula not far from the capital Reykjavik have caused several earthquakes. The Icelandic weather agency Vedurstofa announced on Monday (6 November) that it had recorded a total of 24 earthquakes in 1300 hours. The probability of a volcanic eruption is steadily increasing. Already in the summer, thousands of earthquakes pointed to an imminent eruption in Iceland.
Huge magma flow in the subsurface of Iceland lifts Earth
Three of the most recently recorded earthquakes in the "Land of Volcanoes" exceeded magnitude 3 – the strongest reached a magnitude of 3.6. According to the Icelandic Meteorological Agency, this occurred about three kilometers northeast of Mount Thorbjörn. There, the ground has been raised by seven centimeters so far, indicating an imminent eruption, the agency said. A magma flow flows underground there, which is much more extensive than in previous volcanic activities.
| Richter Magnitude | Starch | Effects |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 | Micro | Not noticeable |
| 2 to 3 | Extremely lightweight | Hardly noticeable, but measurable |
| 3 to 4 | Very light | Noticeable, rarely damaged |
| 4 to 5 | Light | Visible and audible, furniture moves |
| 5 to 6 | Medium | Slight damage to buildings |
| 6 to 7 | Strong | Destruction within a radius of up to 70 km |
| 7 to 8 | Big | Destruction over vast areas |
| 8 to 9 | Very large | Hundreds of kilometers affected |
| 9 to 10 | Extremely large | A thousand kilometers affected |
| Greater than 10 | Global catastrophe | Hasn't happened yet |
| Source: German Geothermal Association |
The public broadcaster RÚV in Iceland is monitoring the situation at Thorbjörn via livestream. According to the broadcaster, however, there are no signs so far that the underground magma is getting closer to the Earth's surface and escaping from the ground.
Reykjanes Peninsula
The Reykjanes Peninsula is located in Iceland southwest of the capital Reykjavik. In the past three years, earthquake swarms in this region have indicated volcanic eruptions three times: Most recently, an eruption took place there in July 2023, which lasted several weeks but did not pose a major threat to inhabited areas.
Possible volcanic eruption in Iceland: Authorities mainly concerned about geothermal power plant
If the magma finds its way to the surface in the next few days, it would mean a volcanic eruption. As the news portal vulkane.net explains, it is currently not possible to determine an exact outbreak location. Nevertheless, an eruption is most likely on the peninsula near Iceland between Thorsbjörn and Eldvörp due to the significant ground uplift.
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Will there be another volcanic eruption in Iceland soon? The island is known for its underground activity. Most recently, up to 1300 earthquakes were recorded within 24 hours – a clear indication of an imminent eruption, experts believe. (Archive photo) © Imago
The Icelandic authorities are particularly concerned about a geothermal power plant in the region. Right next door is the so-called Blue Lagoon; the thermal outdoor pool is one of Iceland's main attractions among tourists. However, the communities that may be affected are not unprepared: in the event of a volcanic eruption, there is already an evacuation plan for the municipality of Grindavík. However, an evacuation is only carried out if human lives are at risk. This was stated by Vídir Reynisson, the director of Iceland's Civil Protection, at a press conference on Monday (6 November).
As recently as July 2023, a volcano in Iceland spewed fire and lava, photographers captured the impressive, but not harmless natural spectacle. An eruption is also on the horizon in Italy: a supervolcano on the southern Italian coast is currently being closely monitored, and experts fear a violent eruption that would be tantamount to an explosion. There have already been several earthquakes in the region, some of them strong.
This article was created with the help of machine support and carefully reviewed by editor Romina Kunze before publication.