In a matter of week , the region beleaguer the town of Grindavik went from experiencing steady seismal activity to three volcanic eruptions , the latest one happening just yesterday . The town was evacuated last November as quakes mature innumber and intensity . scientist could tell that a massive magma dike was forming underground , and fresh analysis shows just how herculean the forces beneath our foot can be .
The magma dike was figure to have a length of 15 kilometre ( 9.3 international nautical mile ) , crack the ground beneath the townsfolk and even jeopardise the famous Blue Lagoon , an opened - air geothermic spa and major tourist goal . The butch was seen lengthen and rising , and research worker have now set up the flow of magma into the dyke . It was not just fast – they are calling it ultra - fast .
They have approximate that the period rate was 7,400 three-dimensional meter per second ( 261,328.5 three-dimensional metrical foot per secondly ) . That ’s three Olympic swim pools every second , or the concrete in the wholeThree Gorge Damevery minute . It ’s an unbelievable flow rate . for sure not there lately . Since 2021 , there have been three bang in the Reykjanes Peninsula , where Grindavik is located . The flow charge per unit of magma for those was 30 time lower than what has been witness this time .
Since thefirst eruptionin December , scientists have been concerned that the new volcanic organisation would be bigger than the previous three combined – and they are being proven veracious . TheJanuary eruptionreached the town of Grindavik , long since it had been evacuated . The new eruption began at 5:30 in the morning on February 8 , in a location similar to the bam of December 18 , so further aside from Grindavik .
Lava fountains were seen to be 50 to 80 meters ( 165 to 260 feet ) tall with a plumage hand an altitude of 3 kilometers ( slightly less than 2 mile ) . The Icelandic Meteorological Office reported the shaping of tephra falls on Grindavik . Tephra is a frothy material that form whenlavacools quickly . The activity of the eruption is conquer and it is compared with what it was figure in December .
“ A blazing , dark plume rises from one part of the igneous crevice . This is likely due to magma interaction with groundwater which lead in a slight volatile activeness where white feather of steam mixing with dark volcanic plume , ” the IMO staffreported . “ It seems that tephra does not trip far from the eruptive fissure at the moment . The volcanic plume is dispersed towards south - west . ”
The paper describing the question of the magma is published in the journalScience .
