November 23, 2024

In pictures: Volcano spews lava after erupting in Iceland

Iceland #Iceland

After weeks of intense earthquake activity, a volcano has erupted on the Reykjanes peninsula of south-west Iceland.

Local residents watch smoke rise in the orange night sky after the volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula - 19 December 2023Local residents watch smoke rise in the orange night sky after the volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula - 19 December 2023A view of lava after the eruption about 4km northeast of Grindavik in Iceland - 19 December 2023A view of lava after the eruption about 4km northeast of Grindavik in Iceland - 19 December 2023

About 4,000 people were earlier evacuated from the fishing town of Grindavik and the nearby Blue Lagoon geothermal spa was closed.

A view of lava spewing into the air from a helicopter flying over the scene in Iceland - 19 December 2023A view of lava spewing into the air from a helicopter flying over the scene in Iceland - 19 December 2023A view of the lava flow from a helicopter flying over the area near the town of Grindavik, Iceland - 19 December 2023A view of the lava flow from a helicopter flying over the area near the town of Grindavik, Iceland - 19 December 2023

The eruption turned the sky over south-west Iceland orange and the smoke from it could be seen from Reykjavik, which is about 42km north-east of the volcano.

An onlooker stands by the shoreline in Reykjavik to watch the volcanic eruption - 19 December 2023An onlooker stands by the shoreline in Reykjavik to watch the volcanic eruption - 19 December 2023

The length of the crack in the volcano is about 3.5km, with the lava flowing at a rate of around 100 to 200 cubic metres per second, according to the Icelandic Met Office.

A graphic showing an image of the crack in the volcano and a map showing the location of the area in south-west Iceland.A graphic showing an image of the crack in the volcano and a map showing the location of the area in south-west Iceland.A volcano spews lava and smoke as it erupts in Grindavik, Iceland - 18 December 2023A volcano spews lava and smoke as it erupts in Grindavik, Iceland - 18 December 2023A helicopter from the Icelandic Coast Guard flying over the volcanic eruption north of Grindavik, Iceland - 18 December 2023A helicopter from the Icelandic Coast Guard flying over the volcanic eruption north of Grindavik, Iceland - 18 December 2023

Iceland has been on high alert for a potential volcano eruption for several weeks and local residents were ordered to leave as a precaution. There were no reports of injuries.

A local resident watched smoke billow as the lava colours the night sky orange - 18 December 2023A local resident watched smoke billow as the lava colours the night sky orange - 18 December 2023 Contributors

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