The Icelandic Meteorological Office said on December 30 that magma from a volcano near the fishing port town of Grindavik on the Reykjanes Peninsula has accumulated in underground magma channels, and the local area may usher in another volcanic eruption. The Reykjanes Peninsula is located in southwestern Iceland and has experienced multiple volcanic eruptions since 2021. The latest eruption of the Haga volcano on the peninsula began on the evening of December 18 and gradually subsided after a few days. Before weakening in intensity, lava gushes out from surface fissures about 1 kilometer long.
On the 30th, DPA quoted the Icelandic Meteorological Office as reporting that the surface of some areas of the Reykjanes Peninsula began to rise to a degree similar to that before the volcanic eruption on December 18. "The likelihood of another magma intrusion and eruption is increasing day by day."
According to the Icelandic Meteorological Office, seismic activity there is less frequent than in November and early December, possibly because the latest eruption released "huge pressure."
Due to frequent seismic activity and high risk of volcanic eruptions, residents of the town of Grindavik were evacuated in November, and have since been allowed to "go home and visit" from time to time. After the Haga volcano erupted on December 18, relevant authorities informed residents not to return home. As the volcanic activity gradually weakened, residents were allowed to go home within a limited time on the 21st.
Iceland is located in the volcanic active zone of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, with many volcanoes, frequent geological activities, and rich geothermal resources. In April 2010, a volcano under the Eyjafjallajökull in southern Iceland erupted, spewing large amounts of ash into the atmosphere. Because of concerns about volcanic ash damaging aircraft engines, the European aviation department closed European airspace for five days, resulting in the cancellation of about 100,000 flights and affecting millions of passengers.