Southwestern Iceland has been a world transformed over the last few months, as initial tremors gave way to a full-throated volcanic eruption. The fishing village of Grindavík was evacuated in November, along with popular tourist destinations like the country’s Blue Lagoon, as residents held their breath for a potential eruption.
And lo, a little later than expected, in December 2023, a large crack in the ground made by the initial quakes began to spew molten rock, captured in some remarkable photos. Another eruption happened last month, and now, a resurgence in volcanic activity forced lava across the snow-covered landscape in southwestern Iceland. The recent eruption—the third in as many months—started around 6 a.m. local time Thursday.
“The power of the eruption has decreased. Now it is erupting mainly in three places on the crater that opened this morning,” Iceland’s meteorological office reported at 2 p.m. local time. “This is not unlike what was seen in the December 18 eruption, when the activity shifted to individual craters a few hours after eruption.”
The lava flows and cooled rock from the recent activity have blanketed swaths of the region, as you’ll see in the following photos.
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Lava totally covering a road near Grindavík.
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Lava blocking the main road into Grindavík, seen from the air. The view gives a sense of the flow’s scale.
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Lava near the road exit for Iceland’s Blue Lagoon on February 8, 2024.
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A road sign for the evacuated town of Grindavík on February 6, two days before the recent volcanic activity.
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Lava flowing across the main road into Grindavík, Iceland.
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A lava field from eruptions last month encroached the town of Grindavík (in background).
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Lava hit a hot water pipeline along the road to the Blue Lagoon.
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Bright orange lava flowing onto a road in southwestern Iceland.
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Lava on a snowy roadside, creating a stark contrast between the chilly landscape and the blistering-hot molten rock.
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A cooled lava field from the January eruption nearly reached homes in Grindavík.
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A scene straight out of Mordor: the Sylingarfell volcano erupted around 6 a.m. local time, creating a fiery horizon on the dark landscape.
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A snow-covered road in Iceland is now getting covered in lava, too, thanks to an eruption early Thursday.
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Seven people look on as lava hits a rocky ridge.
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Another powerful contrast: flows of orange-and-black lava cover the white-and-black snowy landscape.
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An excavator and other construction vehicles near an active lava flow.
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Source: Gizmodo