Current:Home > Contact-usIceland warns likelihood of volcanic eruption is significant after hundreds of earthquakes-LoTradeCoin
Iceland warns likelihood of volcanic eruption is significant after hundreds of earthquakes
View Date:2024-12-23 20:15:09
Officials in Iceland are preparing for a possible volcanic eruption in the wake of hundreds of earthquakes that forced a coastal town along the island nation's southern peninsula to evacuate and prompted a state of emergency. There is a "significant likelihood" that an eruption will happen in the coming days, the Icelandic Meteorological Office warns.
A spike in seismic activity led Icelandic authorities to evacuate the southwestern fishing town of Grindavík, which is about an hour's drive from Reykjavík, the capital city, on Friday night. The town with a population of just over 3,600 people is known internationally for tourist draws like the Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa, and is about 15 miles from Iceland's only major airport.
Grindavík was evacuated as a precautionary measure, the country's department of civil protection and emergency management said in a bulletin shared online this week, adding that there were no immediate threats to safety. Several shelters were established farther east for Grindavík residents who left their homes.
Although civil protection and emergency management officials said the evacuation went smoothly, police remained in the Grindavík area Monday for security reasons. The bulletin said the area was closed and considered dangerous, and images showed large cracks in the earth near the town on Saturday.
From midnight Monday through the late afternoon, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said it detected about 900 earthquakes in the region between Grindavík and Sundhnúkur, which is around two miles north-northeast of the coastal town. Although seismic activity was ongoing, officials said in an update shared just before 4:30 p.m. local time that the size and intensity of the earthquakes appeared to be decreasing.
The meteorological office said its hazard assessment for potential volcanic activity remained the same on Monday as it was the previous day, but the region, particularly near Grindavík, was being monitored closely for any sudden changes.
A state of emergency was declared in Iceland over the weekend in response to the earthquake activity.
"Icelandic Civil Protection authorities have declared a state of emergency following increased seismic activity in Reykjanes Peninsula," Bjarni Benediktsson, the minister for foreign affairs in Iceland, wrote Sunday in a post on X, formerly Twitter. "As a precautionary measure the town of Grindavik (population 3669) was successfully evacuated last night and thankfully everyone is safe."
Benediktsson wrote later in the social media thread that the "likelihood of a volcanic eruption is deemed considerable."
"Seismic activity is part of Icelandic life and this is in a contained, localised area of the country. There are no disruptions to flights to and from Iceland and international flight corridors remain open," he said.
Authorities ramped up an aviation alert to orange, used to indicate an increased risk of volcanic eruption, around the time of the evacuation, the Associated Press reported on Saturday, referencing the massive Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption that caused severe travel disruptions in April 2010.
- In:
- Volcano
Emily Mae Czachor is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. She covers breaking news, often focusing on crime and extreme weather. Emily Mae has previously written for outlets including the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek.
Twitter InstagramveryGood! (24339)
Related
- Hurricane-stricken Tampa Bay Rays to play 2025 season at Yankees’ spring training field in Tampa
- Broadway lyricist Sheldon Harnick, who wrote 'Fiddler on the Roof,' dies at 99
- NEA announces 2024 Jazz Masters including Terence Blanchard and Gary Bartz
- 'Barbie' invites you into a Dream House stuffed with existential angst
- Police identify 7-year-old child killed in North Carolina weekend shooting
- Aleeza Ben Shalom on matchmaking and breaking up with A.I.
- Famous Chocolate Wafers are no more, but the icebox cake lives on
- Wife of Mexico kidnapping survivor says he's just glad to be alive
- College football top five gets overhaul as Georgia, Miami both tumble in US LBM Coaches Poll
- Ukraine war crimes cases to open as International Criminal Court seeks 1st arrest warrants since Russia's invasion
Ranking
- Horoscopes Today, November 13, 2024
- Why Hailey Bieber's Marriage to Justin Bieber Always Makes Her Feel Like One Less Lonely Girl
- 171 trillion plastic particles floating in oceans as pollution reaches unprecedented levels, scientists warn
- How Justin Bieber and Wife Hailey Bieber Built One of Hollywood's Most Honest Marriages
- Kate Spade Outlet’s Early Black Friday Sale – Get a $259 Bag for $59 & More Epic Deals Starting at $25
- See Joseph Gordon Levitt Make His Poker Face Debut as Natasha Lyonne's Charlie Is in Big Trouble
- A 'Barbie' v. 'Oppenheimer' Game
- 3 women missing in Mexico after crossing from Texas on trip
Recommendation
-
North Carolina offers schools $1 million to help take students on field trips
-
Haley Lu Richardson Jokes About Being “Honorary” Jonas Brothers Wife After Starring in Music Video
-
Blake Shelton Reveals Why He's Leaving The Voice After 23 Seasons
-
In the Philippines, a survey shows growing support for gays and lesbians
-
World leaders aim to shape Earth's future at COP29 climate change summit
-
Blake Shelton Reveals Why He's Leaving The Voice After 23 Seasons
-
29 arrested in Egypt after thousands were swept up in Hoggpool cryptocurrency investment scam
-
In the Philippines, a survey shows growing support for gays and lesbians