The Sundhnukur volcano has erupted near Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital, making it the country’s 12th volcanic eruption since 2021, as per the Icelandic Meteorological Office. Iceland is also known as the land of ice and fire, and is prone to volcanic eruptions.The agency reported in a statement on Wednesday that the eruptive fissure located in southwestern Iceland spans between 700 and 1,000 metres (approximately 765 to 1,095 yards) in length.A dozen volcanic eruptions have now been recorded since geological activity resumed on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula four years ago.This is a fissure eruption, and as the name suggests, lava does not flow from a central crater, but rather from extended cracks in the ground.“Lava is mostly flowing to the southeast and is not approaching any infrastructure,” the agency stated. “Based on GPS measurements and deformation signals, it is likely that this was a relatively small eruption.”People were evacuated from Blue Lagoon, a luxury geothermal spa resort, as well as the nearby town of Grindavik, as per public broadcaster RUV, which quoted police.Grindavik, a fishing town, had a population of nearly 4,000 before a 2023 evacuation order. It has remained largely abandoned due to ongoing threats from lava flows and frequent earthquakes, as reported by Reuters.Reykjavik is not facing any current threats due to the Reykjanes volcanic eruption, as it has not ejected large volumes of ash into the stratosphere. Air traffic was not disrupted at the Keflavik airport in the capital of Reykjavik, as per their website.In early April, a volcanic eruption breached the protective barriers near Grindavik, prompting emergency services to evacuate residents as well as guests staying at the Blue Lagoon spa, as reported by Al Jazeera.A 2010 volcanic eruption at Eyjafjallajokull disrupted air traffic across Northern Europe for nearly a week.Experts warn that eruptions in the region could continue to occur for decades, or even centuries, into the future
