Iceland volcano erupts for 12th time since 2021

A volcano erupted in southwest Iceland on Wednesday, the country’s meteorological office said, marking the latest in a series of outbreaks near the capital in recent years.

Often referred to as a land of ice and fire, the North Atlantic island nation — with its many glaciers and volcanoes — has now seen a dozen eruptions since geological systems on its Reykjanes Peninsula reactivated in 2021.

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The outbreaks, known as fissure eruptions, are characterized by lava flows emerging from long cracks in the earth’s crust, rather than from a central crater.

The Reykjanes eruptions have not so far posed a threat to the capital Reykjavik, nor have they caused significant dispersals of ash into the stratosphere, avoiding air traffic disruption.

The nearby fishing town of Grindavik, home to nearly 4,000 residents before an evacuation order in 2023, however, remains mostly deserted due to the periodic threat from lava flows and related earthquakes.

The Blue Lagoon luxury spa and the nearby Svartsengi thermal power station have also been at risk from lava in some of the previous eruptions.

Experts have said the eruptions in the area could recur for decades, or even centuries.

Iceland, which is roughly the size of the US state of Kentucky and has fewer than 400,000 residents, boasts more than 30 active volcanoes.

That makes the northern European island a prime destination for volcano tourism — a niche segment that attracts thousands of thrill seekers every year to sites from Mexico and Guatemala, to Sicily, Indonesia, and New Zealand.

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