On Saturday evening, a volcano in Iceland erupted for the fourth occurrence in the span of three months, releasing fiery streams of lava into the darkened sky.

According to Iceland’s Meteorological Office, a fissure, approximately 3 kilometers (2 miles) in length, was created in the earth due to the eruption. It runs between Stóra-Skógfell and Hagafell mountains on the Reykjanes Peninsula.

For weeks, the Met Office had issued warnings of a buildup of semi-molten rock, known as magma, beneath the Earth’s surface, increasing the likelihood of an eruption.

According to national broadcaster RUV, hundreds of individuals were forced to leave the Blue Lagoon hot springs, a popular destination in Iceland, due to the onset of a volcanic eruption.

There were no reported flight disruptions at Iceland’s main airport, Keflavik, which is nearby.

The location of the eruption is located a short distance away from Grindavik, a small town on the coast with a population of 3,800. It is roughly 50 kilometers (30 miles) southwest of Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland.

In November, the town of Grindavik was forced to evacuate as the Svartsengi volcanic system became active for the first time in 800 years. This was due to a succession of earthquakes that caused significant fissures in the ground located north of the town.

On Dec. 18, the volcano finally erupted, causing lava to flow away from Grindavik. A subsequent eruption on Jan. 14 resulted in lava heading towards the town. Despite the reinforcement of defensive walls following the initial eruption, some of the lava managed to destroy several buildings.

The two eruptions were short-lived, lasting only a few days. However, a third eruption on Feb. 8 quickly dissipated within a few hours.

According to geophysicist Magnús Tumi Guðmundsson, the current volcano eruption is the strongest one yet, as reported by RUV.

Iceland, located above a geothermal hotspot in the North Atlantic, frequently experiences volcanic eruptions and has extensive expertise in managing them. The most significant eruption in recent history was the 2010 outburst of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, which emitted massive amounts of ash into the air and resulted in widespread flight cancellations throughout Europe.

There have been no reported deaths from the recent volcanic eruptions, however, a worker was declared missing after slipping into a crevice caused by the eruption.

Source: wral.com