Similar tremors have been observed in the past before volcanic eruptions, and the Icelandic Meteorological Office said magma movements are a likely cause for continued activity. The agency warned that an eruption could occur within days or weeks.
“The two tectonic plates move apart, and the motion created the conditions for magma to reach the surface,” said Freysteinn Sigmundsson, a research professor of geophysics at the University of Iceland.
Dr. Einarsson said that out of the five volcanoes in the Reykjanes area, magma motion near at least three of them has been observed since the seismic episode began in December 2019. “We are possibly going to enter a new active period in the peninsula,” he said. added. “There seems to be food for an eruption.”
Iceland has about 30 active volcanoes, but volcanologists say an eruption in Reykjanes will not threaten inhabited areas on the peninsula. “We’re talking about an exuberant eruption instead of an explosion,” Dr Sigmundsson said, explaining that the lava was likely to bubble out with little explosive force.
He added that it was unlikely that any activity would be as disruptive as the eruption that took place in 2010, when another volcano in Iceland released an ash flow that was so large that it was one of the most important disruptions in air traffic in decades and stranded millions of passengers. in Europe, some for weeks.
The Meteorological Office said the volcanic activity could occur near Fagradalsfjall, 20 miles south of Reykjavik, or near Mount Keilir. Hundreds of volcano enthusiasts have been pinned down for live cameras in the area, and a website asking “Is there already an eruption?” kept them informed. (It still sounded ‘No’ – No ‘on Thursday afternoon, but a playlist on the site helped the wait.)
The Meteorological Office said that the ongoing seismic activity could decrease under possible scenarios in the coming days or weeks, but the peninsula could also experience more earthquakes, up to 6.5.