A volcano erupted south of Iceland's capital, Reykjavik, on Tuesday (April 1), triggering a major evacuation drive. The volcano began around 9:45 a.m. local time, spewing lava and smoke in a fiery display of orange and red. Social media users soon shared pictures of the volcanic eruption. The volcano is close to the fishing town of Grindavik and the famous Blue Lagoon spa.

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The recent update from the Icelandic Meteorological Office states, "Volcanic activity north of Grindavík continues to decrease, with little visible activity on webcams or in recent drone footage. However, seismic activity continues. However, seismic activity continues."  

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Danger continues 

The Icelandic Meteorological Office, in a statement, said that deformation measurements show that magma is still flowing from Svartsengi into the dike beneath the Sundhnúkur crater row. "As long as significant seismic activity and deformation continue, there remains a possibility that magma could reach the surface again in the Sundhnúkur crater row or nearby where activity is most concentrated," the statement added.

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Evacuation efforts 

The administration evacuated Grindavik and the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, one of Iceland’s biggest tourist attractions, after an early morning earthquake swarm suggested an eruption was imminent. Police stated that at least 40 homes were evacuated, and some people refused to leave their homes. Most residents located on the Reykjanes Peninsula were evacuated in 2021 after the volcano in the region became active again.

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“Those individuals who choose to remain in the town don’t seem to consider that I have 50 people involved in this operation, some of whom are volunteers,” said Úlfar Lúðvíksson, South Iceland’s police commissioner, as quoted by AP.

The eruption has not caused significant dispersal of ash into the stratosphere, avoiding air traffic disruption, Reuters reported. 

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Referred to as a land of ice and fire for its many glaciers and volcanoes, the North Atlantic island nation has now seen 11 eruptions south of Reykjavik since 2021, Reuters reported. In 2021, the sirens warning of volcanic eruption were reactivated after 800 years of remaining dormant.

The North Atlantic island of Iceland sits above a volcanic hot spot. Every year, thousands of tourists come to explore its rugged nature, including geysers, hot springs, and volcanoes. The most disruptive volcanic eruption in recent years was the 2010 Eyjafjallajokull volcano, which disrupted trans-Atlantic air travel for months.

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(with inputs from agencies)