volcanic eruption lights up the sky near Reykjavik

A volcano erupted on Friday March 19, about 40 kilometers from Reykjavik, the Icelandic Meteorological Agency announced. The geological phenomenon illuminated the night sky of the Icelandic capital with a red cloud. Lava was also flowing from a crack in the ground in Geldingadalur, near Mount Fagradalsfjall, according to video footage shot by a Coast Guard helicopter.

“The” eruption started at Fagradalsfjall in Geldingadalur around 8:45 p.m. GMT tonight (9:45 p.m. in Paris). The eruption is considered to be small in size, and the crack is about 500-700 meters long. The lava is less than a square km in size “, said in a statement the meteorological service, which monitors seismic activity. “There is little eruptive activity in this area”, he added.

The Krysuvik volcanic system, which does not have a main crater, is located south of Mount Fagradalsfjall on the Reykjanes peninsula in southwest Iceland. The eruption site is about 5 km inland. The police and the coast guard were dispatched to the scene, but the population was advised not to approach the scene.

Icelandic Keflavik International Airport and the small fishing port of Grindavik are only a few kilometers away, but the area is uninhabited and the eruption is not expected to present a danger. The authorities did not report an ash fall immediately but fragments of tephra (solidified magma) and gas emissions could occur. The police therefore recommended residents living east of the volcano to close their windows and stay indoors because of the risk of gas pollution.