Iceland volcano could burst like a 'fizzy drink,' with lava reaching Blue Lagoon resort in days
By Hannah Osborne published 1 day ago
Magma building beneath Iceland may break through the surface in a volcanic eruption, sending lava flows toward the Blue Lagoon, the Svartsengi geothermal power plant and the town of Grindavík.
The Blue Lagoon resort (pictured here), in the area north of the town of Grindavík near Hagafell, is the most likely place that a fissure will appear. (Image credit: Micah Garen/Getty Images)
The risk of a volcanic eruption in Iceland is not diminishing, and — if a fissure does open — lava could reach the Blue Lagoon resort and the Svartsengi geothermal power plant in just days, an expert says.
The magma in the 9.3-mile-long (15 kilometers) magma dike, a near-vertical underground path, that formed a week ago is currently estimated to be 2,600 to 1,640 feet (800 to 500 meters) below the surface. For an eruption to take place, there must be an increase in pressure that would allow the magma to move up to the surface and break through the crust.
The dike has remained relatively stable over recent days, according to a translated statement from the Icelandic Met Office (IMO), and while some of the magma at the edges of the dike appears to be solidifying, the risk is still very high.
Map showing the location of the magma dike beneath Reykjanes Peninsula. (Image credit: Iceland Met Office)
"I do think an eruption will take place, but the big question is when that might happen," Margaret Hartley, a senior lecturer in Earth sciences at the University of Manchester in the U.K., told Live Science in an email. "The past six days have been a waiting game. The number and intensity of earthquakes has decreased since the peak on Friday last week, but that isn't necessarily a sign that the volcanic crisis is dying down."
More:
https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/volcanos/iceland-volcano-could-burst-like-a-fizzy-drink-with-lava-reaching-blue-lagoon-resort-in-days
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