Trembling in their beds, sleepless Icelanders await the volcanic eruption

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) – Icelanders long for undisturbed closed eyes after tremors of tens of thousands of earthquakes shake their sleep for weeks in what scientists call an unprecedented seismic event that could end in an eruption spectacular volcanic.

“It simply came to our notice then. It’s like walking over a fragile suspension bridge, “Rudveig Gudmundsdottir, a lifelong resident of Grindavik, told Reuters.

Grindavik is located in the southern part of the Reykjanes Peninsula, a volcanic and seismic hot spot, where more than 40,000 earthquakes have occurred since February 24, exceeding the total number of earthquakes recorded there last year.

Located between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates, Iceland frequently faces earthquakes, as the plates move slowly in opposite directions, at a rate of about 2 centimeters each year.

The source of the earthquakes in recent weeks is a large body of molten rock, known as magma, which moves about a kilometer below the peninsula, while trying to push to the surface.

“I have never seen so much seismic activity,” Sara Barsotti, a volcanic hazard coordinator at the Icelandic Meteorological Bureau (IMO), told Reuters.

Some of these earthquakes were recorded at magnitudes of up to 5.7.

“Everyone is so tired,” said Gudmundsdottir, a fifth-grade teacher. “When I go to bed at night, all I think about is, ‘Am I going to sleep tonight?’

Many in Grindavik have visited relatives, spent time in summer houses or even rented a hotel room in Reykjavik, the capital, just to get a break and a good night’s sleep.

Icelandic authorities warned of an impending volcanic eruption on the peninsula in early March, but said they did not expect it to disrupt international air traffic or damage nearby critical infrastructure.

Unlike the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull volcano, which shut down about 900,000 flights and forced hundreds of Icelanders to leave their homes, the peninsula eruption should not throw much ash or smoke into the atmosphere.

Experts expect lava to erupt from cracks in the ground, possibly resulting in spectacular lava fountains that could extend between 20 and 100 meters in the air.

Already last year the authorities implemented an emergency plan for Grindavik. One option includes putting locals on boats in the North Atlantic if an eruption closes the roads to the remote city.

“I am confident that the authorities will keep us informed and evacuate us,” Gudmundsdottir said. “I’m not afraid, I’m just tired.”