A 6,000-year-old dormant volcano in Iceland erupted again on Friday (March 19), sending a torrent of lava flowing out and lighting up the night sky with glowing red layers. (Vilhelm Gunnarsson/Getty Images)
More than 40,000 earthquakes, large and small, have struck Iceland in the past three weeks or so. This unprecedented phenomenon is unbelievable to scientists. They had predicted on the 15th that there might be a “spectacular volcanic eruption” in the near future, and the scientists were right.
On the evening of March 19, Mount Fagradalsfjall, a volcano 50 kilometers southwest of Iceland’s capital Reykjavík, began to erupt.
The Mount Fagradalsfjall volcano on the Reykjanes peninsula in southwestern Iceland erupted rapidly overnight on March 19. (HALLDOR KOLBEINS/AFP via Getty Images)
The Mount Fagradalsfjall volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwest Iceland erupted rapidly overnight on March 19. (HALLDOR KOLBEINS/AFP via Getty Images)
The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) tweeted that the eruption began at around 8:45 p.m. GMT on Friday (19).
The meteorological office first noticed the eruption on a webcam and later confirmed it with thermal satellite images. They estimate that the eruption “fissure” was about 500 meters long and could be seen as a sharp orange glow in the low clouds of the peninsula.
A new video of the eruption at Geldingardalur valley in Reykjanes peninsula. taken from the Coast Guard helicopter. #Reykjanes Eruption #Fagradalsfjall pic.twitter.com/B862heMzQL
- Icelandic Meteorological Office – IMO (@Vedurstofan) March 19, 2021
From 50 kilometers away from the volcano, the glow from the lava could be seen and the night sky was colored red. Emergency authorities said they closed nearby roads, even though the nearest road to the volcano is 2.4 kilometers away, and warned residents of “air pollution” that could affect the area.
Iceland’s prime minister tweeted that the situation is being closely monitored and that there is no threat to surrounding towns. But he still warned people to “be safe and stay away from the incident”.
The Icelandic Meteorological Service told Reuters that all flights in and out of Keflavik International Airport (Keflavik International Airport) have been halted.
The meteorological service said the size of the eruption was “very small” at this stage. “For now, air pollution is not expected to cause significant discomfort to people, except in areas close to the source of the eruption,” the agency tweeted on Saturday. “The gas (emissions) will be closely monitored.”
The Mount Fagradalsfjall volcano on the Reykjanes peninsula in southwestern Iceland erupted rapidly overnight on March 19. (ICELANDIC COAST GUARD/AFP via Getty Images)
Mount Fagradalsfjall, a volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwest Iceland, erupted rapidly overnight on March 19. (ICELANDIC COAST GUARD/AFP via Getty Images)
Despite traffic jams that frustrated motorists, no injuries were reported after the eruption, the New York Times reported.
The Icelandic Meteorological Service said a helicopter carrying scientific personnel was flown to the area in an emergency to assess the extent of the eruption.
A helicopter carrying scientists was flown to the area on March 20 to assess the extent of the eruption. (ICELANDIC COAST GUARD/AFP via Getty Images)
The Mount Fagradalsfjall volcano on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula in southwest Iceland erupted rapidly overnight. (Vilhelm Gunnarsson/Getty Images)
The Associated Press reported that the eruption was the first on the Reykjanes Peninsula in 781 years.
The event surprised volcanologists, as increased seismic activity has recently begun to die down, even though thousands of daily earthquakes have alerted people to the possibility of a potential eruption. In addition, despite Iceland’s long history of volcanoes, few earthquakes have occurred around the Reykjavik region.
The Washington Post said the eruption of a volcano that has been dormant for 6,000 years should leave people not just in shock but in “awe” of the natural world.
“News Watch” host Li Mu Yang agreed. He said: “It’s true. There are many things in the natural world that cannot be explained by current human science, and it is impossible to find out why. So people should be in awe of this. Only with reverence in their hearts will people constantly review their words and actions in order to obey the heavens and receive the blessings of God and Buddha.”
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