Iceland | Grindavik: the volcano that causes hundreds of earthquakes and tremors, what is happening, what are the dangers, how many times has it erupted? | How many volcanoes are there in Iceland? | Photos and Videos | the world

The earth opens up Iceland. Numerous fissures appear in Grindavik as a result of the massive seismic activity associated with the immediate eruption of the volcano. Authorities have declared a state of emergency and ordered an evacuation of the town, 50 kilometers from the capital Reykjavik.

This Tuesday, the Iceland Meteorological Office 700 new earthquakes have been reported since last midnight, the largest of which was 3.1 magnitude. Seismic activity began on October 24 and continues till date Thousands of telluric movements have already been recorded.

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In its statement on Tuesday, the authority pointed out that “The probability of an explosion is high.”

Most of the last Earthquakesmostly “microearthquakesGenerally the Focus on depths between 3 and 5 kilometers”, recorded throughout Penetration MagmaEFE adds a report reviewed by the Institute. The earthquake occurred at a distance of 800 meters from the surface.

The report states that measurements of MetamorphosisHigh-resolution aerial observations, including satellite radar images and ground-based GPS observations, are revealing “Persistent and persistent ground motions due to continuous formation of magma intrusions”..

According to the EFE organization, The intrusion is estimated to be slowly propagating upwards and the magma is believed to be 800 meters below the surface.

Here is what is known so far about the emergency:

mass exodus

A small town called Waist fold It’s inside rush Its 4,000 residents were evacuated on Saturday morning as a precautionary measure since last week.

They were implemented Emergency camps and assistance centers in several neighboring towns.

Friday, the Civil Defense Agency said Iceland is facing unprecedented events for its 360,000 people. At least since the explosion Westman Islands”, referring to the 1973 eruption that started without warning and destroyed 400 houses.

Monday, Residents Waist fold Within minutes they were able to return to their homes, retrieve their belongings, pets and check the damage to their homes. They did so with a large number of police officers and members of the Civil Defense.

“We’re a little bit in disbelief, stunned and saddened, truly. “When you think about the time and energy we spent building our house, it’s sad,” said city resident Hans Wier, who went to retrieve some personal belongings from his home, AFP reported.

Magma is 15 kilometers long

The Civil Defense Agency He said it is now a corridor Magma is 15 kilometers long extending from the northwest Grindavik to the Atlantic Ocean.

Magma is a mass of molten rock It is found in the deepest layers of the Earth at very high temperatures and pressures, and is ejected through volcanoes Lava.

Accordingly CNNIt cites experts, if Magma Undersea explosions are more explosive than land explosions, although an explosion on land poses a greater threat. Grindavik.

“When magma comes into contact with seawater it explodes.Michael Ballato, a researcher at Imperial College London, said in a statement.

“If it explodes under the sea, it’s a surtseyan rash As in 1963 Icelandand created Surtsey Island. “That particular outbreak lasted several years, so it’s possible,” he said.

Bill McGuire, a distinguished professor of geophysics and climate hazards at University College London, said in a statement that “there is no reason to think this eruption will be particularly large.” That’s how big an explosion would be.” Explosion,” CNN quoted him as saying.

“The Exiled City Grindavik is very close to the level of A new fracture, and its survival is not guaranteed,” he added. “It all depends on where it is Magma On the surface, however, things are not looking good for the townspeople.

The appearance of cracks

Intense seismic activity is already causing damage Grindavik. Los Roads register cracks As a result of management of telluric movements and highways Iceland He shared photos on social media showing crumbling asphalt, broken pavements and large cracks in roads.

Volcanologist Arman Haskultsson from the University of Iceland told the Spanish newspaper Country what “Most earthquake swarms end with cracks and faults and no eruption.”. We know that we are at the beginning of a major tectonic event that will release the tectonic tension that has been building up on the peninsula for the past 800 years.

At first, El Pais explains, the seismic swarm was concentrated in the west Grindavik, but later moved eastward. By the end of the week, the earthquakes will move again, clustering to the south, far to the south, and if the earth opens up at that point, it Underwater explosion.

Where does magma emerge?

According to El Bais, until now scientists do not know where the magma will emerge. But the open fissure from southwest to northeast gives a clue. Often the point is, step Iceland Meteorological OfficeDo it at some point crack.

Experts associate this event with nearby Fakradalsfjal volcano, which accelerates its activity from 2021 and its last eruption was in the summer, according to El Pais. So, there is a chance that material will emerge at this stage. Scientists don’t know when.

What is happening in the capital Reykjavík?

city Grindavik It is about 50 kilometers to the southwest ReykjavikCapital Iceland. As of Tuesday, authorities had not issued an evacuation order for Reykjavik.

But the only international airport in IcelandLess than 30 kilometers from Keflavík Grindavik.

The volcano erupted in 2010 EijafjallajökullIt has been causing massive disruption to air traffic for months. Around 100,000 flights were cancelledIt affected 2 million people as a result of the ash thrown up by the eruption.

Now, CNN points out, since the eventual eruption will not affect the glacier ice, it occurred in 2010 and caused a huge ash cloud.

Why does Iceland have so many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions?

In Iceland There are 33 active volcanic systems. In addition, there are 5 underwater volcanoes along its coast

The last explosions occurred nearby FagradalsfjallHeld on the Reykjanes Peninsula, March 2021, August 2022 and July 2023. Far from any infrastructure or populated areas.

Iceland sits on the edge of a tectonic plate that continues to pull apart, separating North America and Eurasia. Along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge Line. Beneath it sits a powerful mantle current, a region hotter than the surrounding magma, which melts and thins the Earth’s crust. These conditions give Iceland 33 active volcanoes, according to CNN.

The Lakki eruption was the worst in Icelandic history

Very bad rash Iceland This happened in June 1783. At that time there were 50,000 people in the country.

More than 10,000 people would die in the following years IcelandAs a result of what is known as Lucky rashAccording to a report BBC Mundo.

The Rash There was enough to create a large crack in the shape Pits in continuous boiling. In the next eight months Lucky grooves They started Abundant lava in the surrounding area and released more toxic gases than any other eruption in the past 150 years, BBC Mundo says.

It was the second major eruption in the last 1,000 yearsIt is second only to Mount Tambora in Indonesia, said Stephen Self, professor of volcanology at the UK’s Open University (Open University).

“The ash cloud spread over Norway, Germany, France and Great Britain“When farmers start dying like flies, it’s alarming,” says BBC Mundo.

The British network adds to it People don’t know where the cloud came fromNor did he know that sulfur dioxide mixed with steam in the lungs and suffocated its victims.

It is estimated that over 20,000 died in Britain alone in the summer of 1783.

as Iceland, “People died not from the explosion, but from hunger. Animals and crops died and it affected the whole country,” Gunnar Guðmundsson, a geophysicist at the Icelandic Meteorological Office, explained to BBC Mundo.

Toxic gases poisoned plants and animals, which killed livestock.

8 out of 10 sheep are believed to have died, half of the cattle and horses.