A volcano near Iceland’s capital and Keflavik International Airport in the country erupted on Friday after sitting dormant for 6,000 years.
The volcano Mount Fagradalsfjall, located on the Reykjanes peninsula in the southwest of Iceland, came to life overnight and is the first volcanic eruption in the area in almost 800 years.
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The department of emergency management said it did not expect evacuations because the volcano is about one and a half kilometers from the nearest road.
“We are keeping a close eye on the situation and it is not currently considered a threat to the surrounding towns,” assures Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Prime Minister of Iceland. “We ask people to stay away from the immediate area and stay safe.”
According to The New York Times, no injuries were reported in the incident, though traffic jams frustrated drivers.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) tweeted that the eruption started around 20:45 GMT and that it is considered small at this stage.
The office first spotted the eruption on a webcam and later confirmed it using thermal satellite imagery. They estimate the ‘split’ was about 550 meters long.
The lava, according to Reuters, blew several hundred feet into the air.
The glare of the lava could be seen from Reykjavik, about 20 km away, and residents were warned not to go near the lava fountains and request to stay indoors with the windows closed due to expected “volcanic gas pollution.”
TOPSHOT – The red glow of magma flowing out of the erupting volcano Fagradalsfjall behind the Blue Lagoon landmark, about 45 km west of the Icelandic capital Reykjavik, on 19 March 2021. A volcano erupted about 40 kilometers in Iceland on Friday. ) of the capital Reykjavik, said the Icelandic Meteorological Office, while a red cloud illuminated the night sky and a flying area was established in the area. (Photo by Halldor KOLBEINS / AFP) (Photo by HALLDOR KOLBEINS / AFP via Getty Images)
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“At the moment, the expectation is that gas pollution will not cause much inconvenience to people except near the source of the eruption,” the IMO said. tweeted on Saturday. ‘The guest [emissions] will be closely monitored. ‘
The event surprised volcanologists, because while tens of thousands of frequent daily earthquakes warned of a possible eruption, seismic activity recently subsided, The Associated Press reported Saturday.
Although the land of fire and ice has a long and volcanic history, it is rare to see tremors around the Reykjavik area.
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In 2010, the massive eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano spewed so much that flights were grounded throughout Europe for weeks.
Although the extent of this eruption does not come close to this eruption, some domestic restrictions put in place.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.