Lava erupted from a fresh volcanic fissure on the Reykjanes peninsula on Saturday, marking the fourth eruption to affect the region since December, prompting Icelandic police to proclaim a state of emergency.
According to an announcement from the Icelandic Met Office (IMO), a “volcanic eruption has started between stora Skogfell and Hagafell on the Reykjanes Peninsula.” Billowing smoke and glowing lava were visible in the live video footage.
The Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management in Iceland declared that a helicopter had been dispatched to precisely pinpoint the position of the recently discovered fissure. The authorities added that the eruption was the reason why the police had proclaimed a state of emergency.
According to the IMO, it occurred close to the same location as a previous eruption on February 8. Lava appeared to flow south towards the dykes built to protect the fishing village Grindavik, it said.
Just after 2200 GMT, “the southern lava front was just 200 metres from the barriers on the eastern side of Grindavik and moving at a rate of about one km per hour,” it added.
