Iceland volcano: 150 quakes in hours cause ground to SINK as experts fear eruption will blow under famous Blue Lagoon
HUNDREDS of earthquakes have caused the ground in Iceland to sink as experts voice fears that an eruption will blow under the Blue Lagoon.
Today around 150 tremors have rocked the areas surrounding the town of Grindavik leaving huge smouldering sink holes in the ground.
It comes as the Icelandic Met Office have revealed the eruption is now expected to happen worryingly close to the famous Blue Lagoon thermal spa, one of Iceland‘s top tourist attractions.
The “most likely” site of the eruption is now Sýlingarfell, three miles north of Grindavik which was evacuated earlier this month over fears of an imminent eruption.
It stated: “The highest likelihood for an eruption is in the middle part of the dike between Hagafell and Sýlingarfell”.
Thousands of quakes and a swelling underground lake of lava has deformed the earth in the Reykjanes peninsula 20 miles south of the capital Reykjavík.
Satellite images show how the ground is being lifted up at an alarming rate of 1cm per day near the Blue Lagoon.
Meanwhile other areas have sunk by up to a foot due to the “seismic swarm”.
The port manager Sigurður Arnar Kristmundsson said that the docks at Grindavik were around 30cm lower than they were 10 days ago.
He said: “It’s no big news that the piers have sunk, but it can probably be fixed.
“But it’s good news that the bottom has subsided to the extent that the ships can have a greater draft when they come into port.”
Resident of Grindavik were forced to flee their homes and evacuate on November 11 as magma began to shift beneath the Earth‘s crust and huge steaming cracks appeared in the ground.
The town was rocked by thousands of quakes which are though to have shaken the Fagradalsfjall volcano into activity making it unsafe for its inhabitants.
But now, the level of emergency in the fishing town has been lowered and the eruption seems to be threatening areas near the Blue Lagoon.
A spokesman announced the decision to close the tourist attraction on Tuesday.
He said: “On November 9, Blue Lagoon made the proactive decision to temporarily close its facilities, affecting operations at Blue Lagoon, Silica Hotel, Retreat Spa, Retreat Hotel, Lava, and Moss Restaurant.
“Considering disruptions to our guests’ experience and the sustained pressure on our employees, these precautionary measures were taken to ensure safety and well-being for all.
“The closure will remain in effect until 07:00 on December 7, at which point the situation will be reassessed.”
If the Fagradalsfjall erupts it will be its fourth eruption in two years.