The famous Blue Lagoon spa in Iceland has been evacuated as intense seismic activity caused lava to flow into the area around the lagoon, again raising fears of an imminent volcanic eruption.
Iceland’s weather service said in its latest update that the magma flow appears to have stopped after opening a fissure about four kilometers across the Reykjavik peninsula. “The depth of the magma means that an eruption could take place within hours,” volcanologist Thorvaldur Thordarson told RUV.
Authorities also evacuated the nearby town of Grindavik. The Blue Lagoon will remain closed until Sunday 10/3, when the situation will be reassessed. “We will continue to closely follow the instructions and recommendations of the authorities, working with them to monitor the development of events,” Blue Lagoon said in a statement.
Iceland is one of the most active volcanic regions on the planet. Rather than having a central volcano, the Reykjanes Peninsula is dominated by a rift valley, with lava fields and cones. In November the Blue Lagoon was closed for a week after 1,400 earthquakes were measured in 24 hours.
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