A volcano erupted to the south of Iceland’s capital on Tuesday, spewing lava and smoke in a fiery display of orange and red that triggered the evacuation of tourists and residents, although air traffic continued as normal.
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Referred to as a land of ice and fire for its many glaciers and volcanoes, the North Atlantic island nation has now seen 11 eruptions south of Reykjavik since 2021, when dormant geological systems reactivated after some 800 years.
“Warning: An eruption has begun,” the Icelandic meteorological office said in a statement.
The outbreak penetrated protective barriers close to the Grindavik fishing town, triggering an evacuation of those residents who had returned following previous eruptions, although most houses have stood empty for over a year.
“There is lava coming within the barrier at the moment, but it’s a very limited eruption so far,” said Rikke Pedersen, head of the Nordic Volcanological Centre.
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Emergency services also evacuated the nearby Blue Lagoon luxury spa in the hours ahead of the eruption, as geologists had warned it was imminent.