The Icelandic Meteorological Office erupted on Friday in a long-dormant volcano in southwestern Iceland, about 40 kilometers from the capital Reykjavik.
Local media reports that inbound and outbound air traffic from Keflavik International Airport, the country’s largest, which serves the capital, has been halted.
The eruption has followed thousands of smaller earthquakes in the area in recent weeks, and officials have erupted as a result.
‘Color code red’
The Meteorological Office reported the volcanic eruption in the Fagradalsberg and declared that ‘flight color code is red, but a lot of turbulence is seen on seismometers.
The rift caused by the eruption was about 200 meters long, the national weather service said.
The Coast Guard said lava appeared to be flowing slowly as they shared a video of the eruption on Facebook.
Authorities urged people to avoid the eruption site.
“We ask people to remain calm and under no circumstances go near the eruption site or on Reykjanesbraut. First responders must be able to drive freely to assess the situation. Scientists are working to assess the eruption,” the police said.
The Icelandic Minister of Justice, Aslaug Arna Sigurbjornsdottir, shared an image of the eruption in which a night sky glows bright red.
Two flights are to Keflavik International Airport.
A Coast Guard helicopter was sent to the scene to investigate the volcanic eruption.
An expected eruption
The southern peninsula of Iceland and its volcanic system Krysuvik, a largely uninhabited area that includes Mount Keilir, have recorded at least 40,000 tremors as strong as 5.7 since February 24.
Experts said before the eruption that they expected an avalanche on lava, nothing reminiscent of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in 2010, which generated a massive ash cloud, which is notorious for flying around 900,000 flights through Europe over a few weeks disrupt.
The region is known to experience exuberant eruptions, where lava flows from the ground, rather than explosive, in which ash clouds erupt high into the sky. The latter is much more problematic for air travel, with the axle potentially damaging aircraft engines and affecting visibility.
The Krysuvik volcanic system has been inactive for nearly 900 years, according to the Meteorological Office. The southern Reykjanes peninsula last witnessed an eruption 781 years ago.
fb / msh (AFP, dpa, Reuters)