Southwest Iceland is currently facing a “king” of seismic activity, with over 20,000 earthquakes recorded since February 24, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office. The bureau said the magma movements were likely the cause of the current rise of the Reykjanes Peninsula, causing fears of a volcanic eruption.
According to the office, there have been more than 3,100 earthquakes on the peninsula in the last 48 hours. At least 63 of them had a magnitude of 3 or greater. A magnitude 3 earthquake can be felt, but rarely causes damage; as the number increases, earthquakes become more dangerous.
Similar explosions of seismic activity in the country have previously caused volcanic eruptions, the office said.
The aviation color code for the Reykjanes Peninsula is orange, which means that there are “increased disturbances” and that there is “an increased likelihood of an eruption,” according to the office.
The Icelandic government said on its website on Thursday that there was a volcanic quake near Mt. Keilir, who is on the peninsula, on Wednesday.
While the government initially said that this “could lead to an imminent volcanic eruption”, the Scientific Council for Civil Protection said on Friday that the data from the last 24 hours “does not provide any indication that magma is approaching the surface”.
“During this period, there is not a high probability of an eruption,” the council said, noting that “the situation can change quickly.”
If an eruption occurs, the data show that it will probably be in the area between Fagradalsfjall and Keilir.
The government said on its website that if there is an eruption, it is expected to be a “relatively” small eruption of fissure lasting up to a few weeks. These types of eruptions, the government said, involve a “slow flow” of lava, rather than large explosions or significant ash.
The government said there was a “very low” risk to populated areas and critical infrastructure, and Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir said the country was “extremely well prepared”.
“Iceland has highly trained, educated and experienced professionals in this field,” Jakobsdóttir said in a statement. “Most importantly, the Icelandic public is accustomed to calmly dealing with many different types of natural events related to weather or geology.”
The last major volcanic eruption in southern Iceland took place in 2010. It was the first time in almost 200 years Eyjafjallajökull volcano it erupted and hundreds of people were forced to evacuate the area.
Similar to the current event, the Eyjafjallajökull eruption occurred after a month full of thousands of small earthquakes.
The government said that a mountain eruption. Keilir “will not produce large vapors that could potentially disrupt international aviation,” although it would temporarily disrupt air traffic. On Wednesday, all drone flights in the area were forbidden in case of an eruption.