[ad_1] An expert has warned that “time is finally up” for Iceland’s potentially imminent volcanic eruption, which is expected to kick off a series o
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An expert has warned that “time is finally up” for Iceland’s potentially imminent volcanic eruption, which is expected to kick off a series of lava explosions that will last for centuries.
Edward W. Marshall, a researcher at the University of Iceland’s Nordic Volcanological Center, said the imminent explosion was part of a 1000-year cycle of volcanic activity that will likely result in centuries of violent eruptions.
“Time’s finally up,” Dr Marshall told LiveScience on Wednesday.
“We can get ready for another few hundred years of eruptions on the Reykjanes.”
1000 earthquakes recorded in just hours
Concerns began mounting that an eruption was imminent on the Reykjanes Peninsula late last month, when a series of earthquakes began to shake and several sinkholes opened up.
Seismic activity picked up in the area on October 25, when more than 1000 earthquakes north of the small town of Grindavík occurred in the space of just a few hours.
Over the following two weeks, seismic activity continued, with hundreds of earthquakes recorded each day as magma began bubbling and collecting beneath the surface.
Residents evacuated, tourist resort closed
On November 9, the largest earthquake since the activity began — magnitude 4.5, reaching a depth of five kilometres — struck near to the Blue Lagoon geothermal resort. The resort, which is one of Iceland’s most iconic tourist attractions, was temporarily shut down.
Grindavík, which is a small fishing village of 2800 people, was evacuated a day later after a one-metre-deep sinkhole opened up in the town. On the same day, November 10, Icelandic authorities declared a state of emergency.
On November 11, the Icelandic Met Office confirmed the worst, releasing data that showed a 15-kilometre “magma tunnel” stretching from Sundhnúk in the north down to Grindavík and into the sea.
Experts say an eruption is expected anywhere along this tunnel, though it’s not yet clear exactly where it will explode.
Eruption ready to explode
Icelandic authorities rushed to protect a nearby geothermal power plant on Tuesday, when it became apparent that it may be in the firing line.
Workers began constructing makeshift defences, digging a network of channels around the Svartsengi Power Station in an attempt to divert the lava should it flow that way.
The health of the plant, which uses heat from the underground magma to operate, is of significant concern. It supplies power across Iceland, as well as hot water to the local area.
As of Thursday, the eruption appears imminent, with some 800 earthquakes recorded in the area since midnight on Wednesday, local time.
Most hit at the centre of the magma tunnel, according to a translated statement from the IMO.
“The probability of an eruption is still considered high,” the statement said.
“In the event of an eruption, the most likely location is at the magma dyke.”
Volcanoes in Iceland
Iceland is home to 32 active volcanoes which erupt, on average, every five years.
Since 2021, however, volcanic activity picked up significantly and now an eruption occurs about every 12 months.
The uptick was caused by a series of earthquakes on the Reykjanes Peninsula, which shook free a 35-kilometre band of seismic activity that stretches from the capital Reykjavík to the sea.
The seismic area is broadly known as Fagradalsfjall and includes the eponymous Fagradalsfjall volcano, which started erupting on March 19, 2021 and erupted for six months.
Three eruptions have occurred since 2021, which experts say mark the beginning of a new geological era on Iceland’s southwestern peninsula, which had previously laid dormant for 800 years.
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