A volcanic eruption began on Thursday in the Reykjanes region of Iceland, following an “intense earthquake swarm” centered in the Sundhnúkur crater row between Stóra-Skógfell and Sýlingarfell, the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) said.
A fissure opened east of Sýlingarfell, releasing a gas plume approximately 1 kilometer high that dispersed southward.
The IMO reported that lava flows continued eastward and westward toward Grindavíkurvegur, but the activity is now primarily confined to two fissures: the northern end of the initially erupting fissure and a newly opened fissure to the north.
Additionally, the seismicity has significantly decreased after 4 am local time on Friday, suggesting that the eruption has yet to reach equilibrium.