Big cracks seem on roads in Icelandic city prone to volcanic eruption
Fears an Icelandic volcano will erupt stay excessive as magma spreads underground and large cracks seem within the roads of a city most in danger.
Seismic exercise in southwestern Iceland decreased in dimension and depth on Monday, however the threat of a volcanic eruption remained important, authorities stated.
Round 900 earthquakes hit the south of the nation on Monday, with tens of 1000’s of tremors reported within the area of Reykjanes in current weeks.
Nearly 4,000 individuals had been evacuated from Grindavik over the weekend as authorities feared that molten rock would rise to the floor of the earth and probably hit the coastal city and a geothermal energy station.
On Tuesday authorities scrambled to construct a defence wall across the Svartsengi energy plant, situated simply over six kilometers from Grindavik, to guard it from lava flows amid fears of an eruption.
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In Footage: Hundreds evacuate as scientists warn eruption “doubtless”
Maira Butt14 November 2023 20:01
Iceland information channel apologises for behaviour of worker amid volcano chaos
Iceland’s largest information channel, RÚV, has apologised for the behaviour of an worker who was recorded making an attempt to get right into a locked property amid volcano chaos.
Residents had left their houses and evacuated the city of Grindavik, when the worker was recorded searching for keys to get into the property.
In a press release on their web site, they stated: “RÚV’s reporters have tried to cowl the occasions in Grindavík with respect for the residents and their property, and the work practices seen within the video are usually not within the spirit of the work guidelines or the spirit by which the information company operates.
Now we have attributed the incident to a misunderstanding and chaos on the scene, however will subsequently overview our work procedures and work guidelines and urge all those that go to the scene to respect the privateness and property of Grindvíkin, and never trigger them extra inconvenience or grief than they have already got.”
Maira Butt14 November 2023 19:02
Might poisonous fuel unfold throughout Europe if volcano erupts?
Consultants have mentioned the possibilites of the unfold of smoke and poisonous fuel throughout Europe in a repeat of the disruption brought on in 2010 which noticed a whole lot of flights cancelled throughout Europe.
Sky Information spoke to Dr Phil Collins, deputy dean and reader in geology and geotechnical engineering at Brunel College London, who urged it is also in comparison with the eruption of Laki in 1783 for comparability resulting from similarities in geology.
He advised the broadcaster: “There could also be a considerable launch of volcanic gases equivalent to sulphur dioxide which reacts with water within the floor and environment to create tiny droplets of sulphuric acid, and fluorine.
“A big Icelandic eruption at Laki in 1783 launched sufficient poisonous fuel to kill massive numbers of livestock in Iceland, resulting in a famine.
“The fuel unfold throughout northern Europe, together with the British Isles, resulting in modifications in climate patterns and a major variety of deaths from lung issues. There have been knock-on results elsewhere within the northern hemisphere.
“At current, it doesn’t appear like a Laki-scale catastrophe is probably going, however there might be native and regional results.”
He stated a smoke cloud was unlikely as in 2010 there was a glacier on high of the eruption – therefore the rising cloud. That isn’t the case at Fagradalsfjall eruption, Dr Collins says.
Maira Butt14 November 2023 17:45
Grindavik resident dashes again residence to gather belongings
A Grindavik resident dashed again residence to gather some belongings after the city was evacuated
Kristin Maria Birgisdottir, who works for the city municipality, stated on Tuesday she solely had the garments she had worn for work on the day the city was evacuated.
“I’m getting ready in case I get an opportunity to go to my home and get a few of my belongings,” stated Birgisdottir, who has moved to a summer time home along with her household.
Some residents needed to be pushed into Grindavik in emergency responders’ vehicles, whereas most inhabitants had been allowed to drive into Grindavik of their personal vehicles accompanied by emergency personnel.
Matt Mathers14 November 2023 17:00
Reykjavik received’t be affected by any outage at energy plant
Disruption to the Svartsengi geothermal energy plant won’t have an effect on provides in Iceland’s capital.
A spokesperson for HS Orka, operator of the facility plant, stated the plant provides energy to the whole nation, though a disruption wouldn’t have an effect on energy provide to Reykjavik.
Iceland’s justice minister Gudrun Hafsteinsdottir advised state broadcaster RUV that gear and supplies that would fill 20,000 vehicles had been being moved to the plant.
Building of the protecting dyke across the energy station was awaiting formal approval from the federal government.
Matt Mathers14 November 2023 16:30
800 earthquakes recorded in Reykjanes on
Some 800 earthquakes had been recorded within the Reykjanes peninsula on Monday alone, Iceland’s Met Workplace has stated.
“Much less seismic exercise sometimes precedes an eruption, as a result of you might have come so near the floor that you just can not construct up a variety of pressure to set off massive earthquakes,” stated Rikke Pedersen, who heads the Nordic Volcanological Centre based mostly in Reykjavik.
“It ought to by no means be taken as an indication that an outbreak just isn’t on the best way,” she stated.
Matt Mathers14 November 2023 16:00
River of magma fashioned ‘in a short time’
A nine-mile-long river of magma operating beneath the Reykjanes peninsula stays energetic, authorities in Iceland say.
A geological knowledgeable stated the river had fashioned “extraordinarily rapidly” and runs via Grindavik.
“What has occurred extraordinarily rapidly is we now have a magma-filled crack – a really lengthy one,” Kristin Jonsdottir, head of the Geoscience Analysis Division on the Icelandic Met Workplace, advised Sky Information.
“It extends over about 15km, it’s a vertical crack and it’s a extremely unhealthy situation since on the southern finish, the crack goes via the city the place about 3,000 individuals stay,” she added, referring to Grindavik.
Matt Mathers14 November 2023 15:45
Iceland volcano map – the place is Grindavik?
Grindavik is a small fishing city of about 3,500 individuals in Iceland’s southwest Reykjanes peninsula.
The city, about 5 miles south of the Blue Lagoon, a geothermic bathing spa fashionable with locals and vacationers, was evacuated over the weekend after massive cracks began appearing in roads following 1000’s of earthquakes throughout the peninsula.
The tremors have sparked fears that the Gradalsfjal volcano – about 12 miles to the north of Grindavik – might erupt after researchers found a 9-mile lengthy river of magma operating via the peninsula.
Matt Mathers14 November 2023 15:24
Iceland shields geothermal plant from threat of volcanic eruption
Icelandic authorities had been on Tuesday making ready to construct defence partitions round a geothermal energy plant within the southwestern a part of the nation that they hope will shield it from lava flows amid issues of an imminent volcanic eruption.
Iceland’s Justice Minister Gudrun Hafsteinsdottir advised state broadcaster RUV that a big dike has been designed to guard the Svartsengi geothermal energy plant, situated simply over six kilometers from Grindavik, which powers round 35,000 houses throughout Iceland.
Gear and supplies that would fill 20,000 vehicles had been being moved to the plant, she stated.
Building of the protecting dike across the energy station was awaiting formal approval from the federal government. The plant produces cold and warm water and electrical energy for the Reykjanes peninsula.
A spokesperson for HS Orka, operator of the facility plant, stated that the plant provides energy to the whole nation though a disruption wouldn’t impression energy provide to the capital Reykjavik.
Matt Mathers14 November 2023 14:18
Most pets and cattle rescued from Grindavik
Most pets and cattle had been rescued from Grindavik by Monday night time, based on rescue charity Dyrfinna.
Nearly all the city’s 3,800 inhabitants had been briefly allowed again into the city on Monday to gather valuables, pets and livestock, the Icelandic division of civil safety and emergency administration stated in a press release, citing native police.
As of late Monday night, the volcanic hazard evaluation in and round Grindavik was unchanged from Sunday.
Tara Cobham14 November 2023 14:00