Image – @ORGrimsson
After recently finishing a blog describing the fifth Sundhunuksgigar eruption that started on May 29th, 2024 – I realised I had not yet uploading the diary for the last eruption! At the moment, events in Iceland are difficult to keep pace with!
So, to add to earlier entries on eruptions on the Reykjanes Peninsula, this blog will ‘complete the picture’ of events to date.
March 1st – A Brief Showing
More activity on the Reykjanes Peninsula, but this time just a single day event.
Here is a brief summary of the mini eruption:
March 1st, 2024
- Magma located about four kilometres deep, suggesting imminent eruption
- Seismic activity moving south towards Grindavík
March 2nd, 2024
- Evacuation from Grindavík
- Blue Lagoon – around 4 p.m. today, 600-800 people evacuated
March 16th – Back To Real Business
Yet another eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula in Iceland! This time, quite a significant one, with virtually no warning!
Events of the eruption are summarised here:
March 16th, 2024
- Eruption occurred at 8.23 pm
- This is the seventh eruption in this area in almost 3 years, 4th since December 2023
- Little precursive seismic warning! Eruption preceded by only a small number of earthquakes, all of low magnitude (probably because the magma flowed through heated existing conduits where the rock was no longer brittle and cold)
- Eruption began between Hagafell and Stóra-Scógfell, rather closer to Stóra-Scógfell, in a similar place to the eruption on February 8
- Two fissures – one very short in length but one measuring 3.5 km
- Initial lava fountains up to 250 metres
- Two major new lava flows. One flowed westwards over the main road from Grindavik (Grindavíkurvegur) but was halted by the existing earth barrier
- Lava did not reach power station or hot water pipeline (which had been buried following last eruption, so any new lava could flow over the top)
- Grindavik and Blue Lagoon evacuated. 700 tourists were in the Blue Lagoon at the time
- Second lava flow headed south towards flow fields from January, stopping at the earth barriers outside Grindavik – still 500 metres from the road and 1km from the coastline
March 17th
- Activity decreased overnight
- By midday of March 17th, lava flows seemed to have slowed to a halt as eruption winds down
- Fountain activity at fissure now concentrated at three separate areas (expected to reduce to one before dying out completely)
- Earth barriers seemed to have worked well (second time they have been tested)
Image – @icelandfpv
March 18th
- Grindavik residents and workers allowed access to the town
- Seems like another short-lived eruption
- Eruption continues, but with a much lower level of activity
- Fissure fountains confined to two locations, northern vents now subdued
- Spatter cones beginning to develop
- Spatter cones showing up on web cam footage
- The two lava flows have slowed to a virtual halt
- Total area of new lava estimated to be 5.85 square kilometres
- Gas pollution alert led to evacuation of Svartsengi power station early today. Workers returned at 15.40 hours
- Blue Lagoon to remain closed until a new escape route can be established
Eruption Map. Image – vedur.is
March 19th
- This eruption continues to rumble on – although not at the pace of the first few hours!
- The eruption has now lasted longer than the last three eruptions
- Ground inflation continues so flow still exists in deep magma chamber that is a short distance to the west of recent eruption, pretty much underneath the Svartsengi power plant
- Lava production roughly the same as yesterday
- Greatest fountain activity now confined to southern end of fissure
- Spatter cones continue to build
- Lava flow to southern road (Suðurstrandarvegur) being closely monitored. It is now around 200m away, but progress has virtually halted
- Unlikely now to reach the road or the sea (unless conditions change)
- Gas emissions have decreased
Spatter Cones. Image – @ORGrimmsson
March 20th
- The eruption continues! Now 7-8 craters. I wonder which cone will become the dominant one?
- Vessel today landed a considerable catch of fish in Grindavik. Now being processed at the local plant. The Icelandic spirit!
- Work has started on the new Grindavíkurveg. Road builders took the first steps to build a new road over the lava today. Work began on levelling the bottom, bringing the initial filling into the road parking lot and measuring the temperature
March 21st
- Eruption reaching a more stable state – but not yet over
- Latest video from ‘Just Icelandic’
- You Tube update from Dr AstroGeoTech:
- A decision has been made to raise the easternmost part of the fortifications north of Grindavík.
- Lava flows are now threatening the Melhólsnáma bedrock mine that is used to collect material for defense walls at Grindavík. The mine has been evacuated and lava has already flowed over roads and paths nearby
- An employee of the Blue Lagoon was hospitalised yesterday due to gas poisoning
March 22nd
- The eruption continues with the same force as the last few days. There has been no change in the situation overnight.
- All the craters that have been open for the last few days are still erupting.
- Concerns have arisen that the lava may rise higher than the existing defenses and they should be raised as much as possible
March 24th
- The lava at Sundhnúksgígar is mostly feeding a river located in the middle of the lava field
March 25th
- “We don’t see …magma influx is slowing down.” …So far, only 15% of what came up in the eruption in Fagradalsfjall has arrived, but this eruption is approaching what came out in the other 3 eruptions combined
- Blasts are currently being prepared west of Grindavik. 5,000 cubic meters of rock will be blasted away to create a lava channel
March 26th
- Air quality is currently very poor at the Blue Lagoon due to gas pollution. The attraction remains closed through March 27
- Three craters are still erupting, with a similar force as in the last 24 hours. A visible but slow lava flow is south of Hagafell, in a westerly direction.
- There are indications that land is rising at Svartsengi, but much more slowly than before
Eruption Map. Image – Shaun Willsey
March 27th
- The Blue Lagoon has decided to further extend its closure until April 1st
- Magma is still accumulating under Svartsengi.
- Activity in the volcanic eruption in Sundhnúka craters has been quite stable since Monday, March 25
- Shaun Willsey update:
March 28th
- People beginning to think about eruption number 8. Will there be the same lack of warning signs?
- Last night at 1.26 a big chunk of the N-crater wall broke off
- The volcanic eruption continues. The largest crater has now been building up to a height similar to a building with over 5 floors. And still forcefully emitting burning lava
- New 3D Image:
- You Tube: An afternoon trip to Grindavik:
March 29th
- Fire service dealing with wild fires around eruption
April 5th
- Just 1 crater active now. No visible activity in the smaller crater last night. No glow, but gas still rises from it. This S crater seems to have gone out last night or during the night. There is unchanged lively activity in the larger crater
April 7th
- Shaun Willsey update:
April 8th
- The eruption continues and now one crater is active. Lava flow from the crater flowed in a southerly direction yesterday in a rather limited stream, which became an impressive lava river. At the same time, the magma surface in the crater gradually rose until it was almost full. The northern rim of the crater broke at 21:30 last night so magma started flowing in the north direction. Today, you can see that the lava flow has mostly started to flow to the south again
- A new stage in the volcanic eruption as the burning lava flows down from the big crater like the majestic waterfalls found all over Iceland
- Experts do not believe that this lava will reach any infrastructure or human settlements
April 14th
- Latest 3D image: https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/sundhnuksgigar-eruption-7-08042024-time-1320-cb0ecc23febd45df8876b89e7dd77238
- Video Update: https://youtu.be/VUYohNASFvY?si=z93YoBFiIsVgFEP2
April 28th
- Police are urging people not to walk to the volcano as a second crater could open up near the active Sundhnúksgígar eruption
- 10 million cubic metres of magma under Svartsengi as new eruption could happen at any time
- Never before in Earth’s history! The leading Icelandic scientists have in the last few days stated that the volcanic eruption in the Grindavik region is evolving in a way unique in global geological times.
May 9th
- The eruption at Sundhnúkagýgar is formally over according to the Icelandic MET office. It lasted 56 days which is longer then the most recent eruptions in the area. Magma is still entering a “pocket” below the eruption area
Devon Geography 