In November, there was a high risk of a volcanic eruption on the Icelandic Reykjanes Peninsula. Is Daddy big now?
The short version
- About 4,000 people were evacuated from Iceland’s Grindavik Peninsula three weeks ago due to the threat of the volcano.
The summary is created with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) and quality guaranteed by Aftenposten journalists.
Three weeks ago, about 4,000 residents in and around the small town of Grindavik, southwest of Reykjavik, had to evacuate their homes.
Earthquakes and volcanic hazards on the Reykjanes Peninsula make it extremely dangerous to live there. On Sunday, November 12, about 2,800 earthquakes occurred on the peninsula.
But after residents and livestock were safely evacuated from the small settlement, the outbreak calmed down.
– Now there are about ten earthquakes a year. A day with a strength of 2.2. This is almost unrecognizable, says the research leader NorwegiansNorwegiansAn independent, internationally recognized research institution with specialists in seismology and seismic monitoring.Volker Oy.
Ooi believes that if this significant decline in the number of earthquakes continues, evacuees may be able to return again.
Police and emergency crews cordoned off Grindavik after a large crack appeared in the ground beneath the settlement.
– The epicenter is still there
Volcanic conditions on the peninsula have calmed. However, there is still a real risk, and it is difficult to predict what will happen, says Noursar CEO Anne Strommen-Lake.
– The peninsula is still the epicenter, and will always remain exposed, says Lake.
The American and Eurasian continental plates meet in Iceland and the rift between them divides the country in two. These two plates slide farther and farther away from each other.
This leads to so-called fissure volcanoes, where magma flows into the fissure. Fissure volcanoes are found on the surface and underwater.
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The risk of volcanic eruptions is now lower. I reported last week Meteorological Institute of Iceland That the activity in the magma has decreased.
– Although the situation has largely calmed down, this could also mean that it was calm before the storm, says Volker Uwe.
He says the ground level has risen, a sign that there are still magma flows below and above the surface.
Volcanic activity under Grindavik has decreased recently. It is not impossible that the population will eventually return.
The hope of returning home again was not lost
It remains uncertain whether evacuees will be able to return home, but if calmer conditions continue, it may eventually become possible for residents to return.
– But I think it will take a long time, it is not finished yet, he says.
Earthquakes decreased and the volcanic danger decreased. But it remains to be seen whether the Earth will sink too, he says.
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