An eruption started between Sýlingarfell and Hagafell at 10pm. An earthquake swarm started in the magma intrusion north of Grindavík around one hour earlier.There is a risk of lava flowing to Grindavík, says Kristín Jónsdóttir of the Icelandic Met Office.The worst possible location, say Þorvaldur Þórðarson and Benedikt Ófeigsson.Civil Defence emergency level declared.The fissure is still getting longer and has grown to about 3.5 kilometres.The flow of lava in the eruption is many times higher than the eruptions of recent years on the Reykjanes Peninsula.The police chief in Suðurnes says that no one should be in danger.Reykjanesbraut has been closed and people are asked to evacuate it.
The difference there was that it came up under the glacier Eyjafjallajökull and the magma meeting ice caused steam explosions throwing ash and other material high in the air.
The one a few years ago that stopped flights in Europe was a basaltic one?
The difference there was that it came up under the glacier Eyjafjallajökull and the magma meeting ice caused steam explosions throwing ash and other material high in the air.