Lava flows from a volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland March 21, 2021. Photo:Reuters
By Patryk Krych | The World Daily | MARCH 21st 2021
A volcano near to the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik had erupted on Friday, spewing lava and black clouds of ash.
The eruption occurred following weeks of threatening earthquakes around the mountain on the Reykjanes Peninsula. Enough lava had been spewed out to cover one entire square kilometre.
Over the four weeks leading up to the eruption, a total of well over 40,000 earthquakes had been recorded. This was a noticeable warning sign, given that the peninsula typically only experiences somewhere around 1,000-3,000 earthquakes per year.
“I can see the glowing red sky from my window,” said a resident of the town of Grindavik, Rannveig Gudmundsdottir. “Everyone here is getting into their cars to drive up there.”
The event marks the first volcanic eruption to occur on the peninsula since at least the 12th century. The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) dubbed the eruption as ‘small’ and confirmed that it would pose no danger to the town of Grindavik (which is 8km away) or any other nearby towns/communities.
