Iceland volcano erupts for the seventh time in a year

By Kathy Rose OBrien, CNN

(CNN) — A volcano near Iceland’s capital erupted on Wednesday night, becoming the seventh such event in the area since December.

The length of the fissure on the volcano, located in Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula in the southwest of the country, is estimated to be approximately 3 kilometers (1.9 miles), according to the Icelandic Met Office.

The eruption began shortly after 11 p.m local time Wednesday, with a Met Office update three hours later saying the fissure seemed to have stopped expanding.

Air traffic to and from Iceland was operating normally on Thursday, according to Iceland’s official tourism website, which said the eruption was significantly smaller than the last one, which occurred in the area on August 22, when a 4-kilometer (2.5-mile) fissure opened.

A geothermal power plant and the two hotels at the world-famous Blue Lagoon were evacuated. The Blue Lagoon has been repeatedly forced to close due to volcanic activity over the past year.

“The eruption is in the same place as the last one in August this year. The town of Grindavík is not threatened by lava flow,” Snorri Valsson, a spokesperson for the Icelandic Tourist Board, told CNN on Thursday.

“This was expected. The few people… 60 people… in town have been evacuated, as well as the Svartsengi Power Plant and the two hotels at the Blue Lagoon – the Blue Lagoon itself was empty at the time, as it started after closing hours.”

Since January 2020, there have been 10 eruptions on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula.

Iceland has a population of nearly 400,000 and is one of the world’s most active volcanic areas. It lies on the constantly active geologic border between North America and Europe. Last year, Iceland experienced more than 1,000 earthquakes in a 24-hour period.

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