The eruption start early this morning at 6am with a 3km long fissure near to the location of the 18th December 2023 eruption. Lava is flowing westwards. 

At the time of writing there is no immediate threat to Grindavík the Blue Lagoon or Svartsengi Power Plant. No-one is thought to have been in Grindavík when the eruption started; the Blue Lagoon was evacuated successfully. It will be some time before lava may reach the protective walls round Grindavík.

The eruption started with little notice. The precursors were an earthquake swarm which started 30 minutes before at 5:30 am and around ten minutes later pressure changes in bore holes at the power plant were noted.

The eruptive mechanism is similar to the two previous eruptions. Magma flows into the channel and then erupts with jets of lava. Lava fountains are currently reaching 80m height and the plume rises to 3km.

Inflation has been continuous at Svarsengi since the December 18th eruption. It is too soon to see what effect thus eruption has had on local ground deformation. 

For updates, please refer to local news sources (we use https://www.ruv.is/english/2024-02-08-eruption-started-on-reykjanes-peninsula-404272), or the local authorities, Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management (https://www.almannavarnir.is ), the Icelandic Meteorological Office (https://vedur.is ).

Armchair Volcanologist

© Copyright remains with the author; all rights reserved, 2024.

Sources are referred to in the text.