Iceland is on high alert for a possible volcanic eruption after a series of strong earthquakes shook the country’s southwest region. The town of Grindavik, where most of the quakes occurred, has been evacuated and declared a state of emergency.
The tremors have caused huge cracks to appear on the roads and the ground, making some areas inaccessible. Steam has also been seen rising from the ground, indicating that magma is close to the surface. A sinkhole was also discovered on Sunday, adding to the fears of an imminent eruption.
According to a volcanologist, the sinkhole shows that the magma tunnel under the town is very near the surface and that the eruption will likely happen within the town limits.
The Icelandic Meteorological Institute said that the probability of an eruption remains high, despite the lower number of earthquakes recorded on Tuesday. The institute said that it detected nearly 800 quakes between midnight and noon on Tuesday, which is less than the previous two days.
The residents of Grindavik were allowed to return to their homes briefly on Monday to collect their belongings, but they have been advised to stay away from the danger zone. The authorities have also warned the public to avoid travelling to the area and to follow the instructions of the emergency services.
The Reykjanes Peninsula, where Grindavik is located, is a volcanic hotspot that has not seen an eruption for nearly 800 years. The last major eruption in Iceland was in 2010, when the Eyjafjallajokull volcano disrupted air travel across Europe with its ash cloud.
