Scientists have issued warnings that volcanic activity in Sundhukur in Iceland could persist. This comes after reports that even more magma could breach through the surface.
Iceland Volcanic Eruption
The volcanic eruption started on March 16 and is currently the fourth one in a series that began with the accumulation of magma in Svartsengi at the Reykjanes Peninsula. The accumulation started in October 2023, while the first eruption was seen in December 2023.
The eruption unleashed a huge lava flow that triggered several evacuations and razed several homes in the nearby town of Grindavik.
The eruption in Sundnukur has been persisting for four weeks. This makes it the second-largest one in recent years across Iceland, only second to the 2021 Fagradalsfjall eruption, which lasted six months.
More Magma Could Be Accumulating
According to the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO), ground lift and increased pressure have been observed in the area. This could mean that magma is once more below the surface.
The persistent magma accumulation in Svartsengi boosts the chances of another magma propagation. A magma propagation refers to a large and sudden flow of magma beyond the reservoir. Magma is molten rock that comes from melting the Earth's crust or mantle.
This may result in lava erupting from various fissures in the surface within the coming weeks or days. Moreover, the eruptive crater could also become larger because of the sudden increase in lava flow.
The IMO shares in a statement that at the start of Apri, ground uplift started to increase. A similar magma volume is not expelled at Sundhnukur as it accumulates in the reservoir. This leads to higher magma pressure.
Such developments are new. A persisting volcanic eruption with relatively stable lava flows at the crater row of Sundhnukur is uplifting the ground in Svartsengi.
If magma accumulation persists at a similar rate, the chances of magma propagation in the coming weeks or days will increase despite the ongoing eruption.
Magma propagation during an ongoing eruption from a reservoir has not been observed before in this region. Hence, there is more uncertainty regarding activity development in the coming weeks or days.
More eruptive fissures could end up opening between Hagafell and Stora-Skogfell. The uncertainty due to the growing pressure under the surface has prompted the Met Office to heighten the hazard rate in several areas, increasing it from "low" to "considerable."
Meteorologists estimate that over six million cubic meters of magma could have built up in the reservoir beneath Svartsengi since the fourth eruption. For previous eruptions, they took place when eight to 13 million cubic meters were added to the magma reservoir.
The eruption's gas emissions also pose persisting hazards to locals, who are encouraged to check air quality in the area.
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