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In Pics: Icelandic Volcano Erupts, Lighting Up Night Sky Near Reykjavik
A volcano erupted just 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Iceland's capital Reykjavik on Friday, with red lava spewing out of the ground and a crimson glow lighting up the night sky. Streams of red lava could be seen flowing out of a fissure in the ground in Geldingadalur, close to Mount Fagradalsfjall on the Reykjanes peninsula in southwestern Iceland, in footage filmed by a coast guard helicopter. Take a look at the pictures:
A volcano erupted just 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Iceland's capital Reykjavik on Friday, with red lava spewing out of the ground and a crimson glow lighting up the night sky. Streams of red lava could be seen flowing out of a fissure in the ground in Geldingadalur, close to Mount Fagradalsfjall on the Reykjanes peninsula in southwestern Iceland, in footage filmed by a coast guard helicopter. Take a look at the pictures:
"The eruption began at Fagradalsfjall in Geldingadalur at about 2045 GMT tonight. The eruption is considered a small one and the eruption fissure is about 500-700 metres (1640-2300 feet) long. The lava is less than 1 square kilometre (0.4 square miles) in size," the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO), which monitors seismic activity, said in a statement.
The eruption site is in a valley, about 4.7 kilometres inland from the southern coast of the peninsula.
Police and coast guard officials raced to the scene, but the public has been advised to stay away and the main road from the capital region to Keflavik airport was temporarily closed on Friday.
There were no reports of ash fall, although tephra -- solidified magma rock fragments -- and gas emissions were to be expected.
Police ordered residents living east of the?volcano?to close their windows and stay indoors due to the risk of possible gas pollution carried by the wind.
Gas emissions -- especially sulphur dioxide -- can be elevated in the immediate vicinity of a volcanic eruption, and may pose a danger to health and even be fatal.
Eruptions in the region are known as effusive eruptions, where lava flows steadily out of the ground, as opposed to explosive ones which spew ash clouds high into the sky.
The Krysuvik system has been inactive for the past 900 years, according to the IMO, while the last eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula dates back almost 800 years, to 1240.
The region has been under increased surveillance for several weeks after a 5.7-magnitude earthquake was registered on February 24 near Mount Keilir on the outskirts of Reykjavik.
The seismic activity has moved several kilometres southwest since the quake, concentrating around Mount Fagradalsfjall, where magma was detected just one kilometre under the Earth's surface in recent days.
A volcano erupted just 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Iceland's capital Reykjavik on Friday, with red lava spewing out of the ground and a crimson glow lighting up the night sky. Streams of red lava could be seen flowing out of a fissure in the ground in Geldingadalur, close to Mount Fagradalsfjall on the Reykjanes peninsula in southwestern Iceland, in footage filmed by a coast guard helicopter. Take a look at the pictures:Read More
"The eruption began at Fagradalsfjall in Geldingadalur at about 2045 GMT tonight. The eruption is considered a small one and the eruption fissure is about 500-700 metres (1640-2300 feet) long. The lava is less than 1 square kilometre (0.4 square miles) in size," the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO), which monitors seismic activity, said in a statement. Read More
The eruption site is in a valley, about 4.7 kilometres inland from the southern coast of the peninsula. Read More
Police and coast guard officials raced to the scene, but the public has been advised to stay away and the main road from the capital region to Keflavik airport was temporarily closed on Friday. Read More
There were no reports of ash fall, although tephra -- solidified magma rock fragments -- and gas emissions were to be expected. Read More
Police ordered residents living east of the volcano to close their windows and stay indoors due to the risk of possible gas pollution carried by the wind. Read More
Gas emissions -- especially sulphur dioxide -- can be elevated in the immediate vicinity of a volcanic eruption, and may pose a danger to health and even be fatal. Read More
Eruptions in the region are known as effusive eruptions, where lava flows steadily out of the ground, as opposed to explosive ones which spew ash clouds high into the sky. Read More
The Krysuvik system has been inactive for the past 900 years, according to the IMO, while the last eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula dates back almost 800 years, to 1240. Read More
The region has been under increased surveillance for several weeks after a 5.7-magnitude earthquake was registered on February 24 near Mount Keilir on the outskirts of Reykjavik. Read More
The seismic activity has moved several kilometres southwest since the quake, concentrating around Mount Fagradalsfjall, where magma was detected just one kilometre under the Earth's surface in recent days. Read More