Deja vu as volcano erupts again near Iceland capital

Lava spews out of a fissure in the ground after a volcano erupted in Iceland near Reykjavik. The eruption is deja vu in the region after the same volcano erupted for six months in March-September 2021. IMAGES

A volcano erupted in Iceland on Wednesday near the capital Reykjavik, spewing red hot lava and plumes of smoke out of a fissure in an uninhabited valley after several days of intense seismic activity.

The eruption was around 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Reykjavik, near the site of the Mount Fagradalsfjall volcano in southwestern Iceland that erupted for six months in March-September 2021, mesmerising tourists and spectators who flocked to the scene.

As it cooled, blueish smoke rose up from the hilly landscape on the Reykjanes peninsula. 

The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO), which monitors seismic activity, estimated the size of the fissure at about 300 metres. It said the eruption started in the Meradalir valley, less than one kilometre (0.6 miles) from the scene of last year's eruption.

While there was no ash plume, the IMO said it was "possible that pollution can be detected due to the gas release".

Gas pollution can also be carried by the wind.

More than an hour after the start of the eruption, a commercial passenger jet could be seen flying over the eruption site at low altitude heading for Reykjavik's main airport Keflavik.

Last year's eruption saw more than 140 million cubic metres of magma spilled into the area over a period of six months before it was officially declared over after nine months, in December 2021.

Wednesday's eruption was believed to be five to 10 times bigger than last year's eruption, with about 20-50 cubic metres of magma spewing out per second, Magnus Tuma Gudmundsson, professor of geophysics at the University of Iceland, told Icelandic media.

Iceland President Gudni Johannesson, who happened to be driving near the scene of Wednesday's eruption when it occurred, echoed that appeal.

- Awakening -

Known as the land of fire and ice, Iceland has 32 volcanic systems currently considered active, the highest number in Europe. The country has had an eruption every five years on average.

However, until last year, the Reykjanes peninsula had not experienced an eruption since the 13th century, when a volcano erupted for 30 years from 1210-1240.

A vast island near the Arctic Circle, Iceland straddles the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a crack on the ocean floor separating the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates.

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