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Iceland
The lava flow is decreasing in Grindavík - but the risk of more eruptions remains
Matthias Kjellman
Updated 20.03 | Published 18.41
"Black lucky day".
Although the lava flow has subsided, new eruptions at Grindavík in Iceland cannot be ruled out.
- The future is uncertain for the city as a whole, says Björn Lund, seismologist at Uppsala University.
Monday's print edition of the Icelandic newspaper Morgunblaðið.
Monday's print edition of the Icelandic newspaper Morgunblaðið.
"Black day" - that's how Icelandic media described yesterday.
Even Island's Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir calls it "a black day for Grindavík and all of Iceland".
On Sunday, the Icelandic government declared a national state of emergency after the volcanic eruption near the fishing town of Grindavík.
New cracks appeared and the lava flowed through the building and three homes caught fire. About 200 people were evacuated from the city.
- These are terrible events for the residents. The place is without hot and cold water and you are not allowed to go into town to take care of property. There is a lot left of this, says Grindavík mayor Fannar Jónasson to Rás 2.
On Monday, the Icelandic government will hold a meeting where it will be decided how to find permanent housing for people in the coming months.
The flow from the southern fissure is decreasing
Alarms of earthquake activity already came during the night between Saturday and Sunday and it took about five hours before the volcanic eruption took off.
Two cracks must have appeared. One north of the city and one only about 50 meters from the southern city border.
Several buildings caught fire. Photo: AP
It was from the approximately 150 meter long southern fissure that the lava reached the city and caused damage to electricity, water pipes and buildings.
There, the flow of lava has decreased during Monday morning and you will now fly over the area and see how extensive the damage is.
- Things have calmed down quite a bit there at the southern crack. But at the northern fissure, the lava flow continues and there have been even larger amounts, says Björn Lund, seismologist at Uppsala University.
Builds protective dykes
One risk is that lava from the northern fissure will flow around and then flow into the western part of the city. Therefore, the work to build and strengthen a protective embankment has been going on all night.
They dig and use the material from the old lava. The dikes should be about three meters high right now and the purpose is to protect a nearby power plant, among other things.
- The protective dikes in the west have been successful so far, but lava continues to flow there. So they work hard, because the dikes are not as high as they would like them to be, says Björn Lund.
Two cracks are said to have appeared, one north of Grindavík, and one only 50 meters from the southern city border. Photo: AP
The tourist resort blue lagoon is located in the area and was also evacuated in time thanks to the measurements and quick information.
Crack under the city
Deep inside the earth, lava pushes up and flows into the magma reservoir. A lot of ground movement has been discovered inside the city, which shows that there is movement in the crack.
Björn Lund believes that it is unclear how long this process will last, but that there is a risk that a crack could appear in the middle of the city.
- If it looks like it is now, it should slow down. But when the pressure gets too high, magma flows out into the fissure system. And given that the fissure goes under the city, there is an unpleasant risk that if a new eruption occurs again in a month or so, it could happen in the middle of town, says Björn Lund.
The smoke can be seen from far away. Photo: Marco Di Marco/AP
Since the first outbreak in December, nearly four thousand have been evacuated and there will be difficult conversations about how the residents should be helped, among other things financially.
The Red Cross has started a collection for Grindavík.
- It is absolutely terrible. It is, of course, terrible for residents of Grindavík to sit and watch on TV how the city is affected and how their buildings are destroyed, says Björn Lund.
Many people are asking to be allowed to return to their homes to save their valuables, but National Police Chief Sigríður Björk Guðjónsdóttir says that the first priority is to ensure the safety of the area.
In addition, work needs to be done to restore the heat supply in the houses.
Björn Lund, seismologist at Uppsala University. Photo: Uppsala University
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