New Volcanic Eruption Threatens Access to Iconic Iceland Tourist Spot
Access to an iconic Icelandic tourist attraction is now “mostly” submerged in lava, according to The Iceland Monitor, after the Reykjanes Peninsula volcano erupted for the seventh time in under 12 months.
At around 11:14 p.m. local time on Wednesday night, a fissure of lava nearly two miles high began spewing from the volcano, which sits about 30 miles from Reykjavik. As of Thursday morning, the parking lot of the country’s famous Blue Lagoon was completely submerged in molten lava with the exception of a few street lamps. Photos show a sign in the parking lot wilted and nearly felled from the lava’s heat.
The parking lot is a massive plot of land which holds up to 350 cars in addition to spaces for buses. Those who work at the Blue Lagoon are considering other ways in which they and guests can access the facilities should the lava completely erode the roadways. The lagoon itself is protected by a defensive wall, and current information does not indicate that lava will reach the famed geothermal spa itself. Over 700,000 people visit the lagoon annually.
Video showing the lava taking over the Blue Lagoon car park....pic.twitter.com/MvMowaTuwz
— Volcaholic ???? (@volcaholic1) November 21, 2024
Calm winds and clear skies at 11:15 today in #Reykjavik,and a #volcano erupting 40 kilometers south of Reykjavik. Temp. at minus 10 C ( 14F ). #nature #geology #lava #share #iceland #travel pic.twitter.com/QXtyjv15xj
— Iceland Photos (@dorisig) November 21, 2024
"It is impossible to tell the damage at this point, but we will see this better as time goes on and how we can respond,” Helga Árnadóttir, Blue Lagoon’s manager of sales, operations, and services explained. “There are some parking options at the reservoir, but we need to take a closer look at it in the future.”
Aerial views show the lava flow and its proximity to the lagoon.
360 degree view at the Blue Lagoon (14:20pm, November 21, 2024)
— RenderNature (@RenderNature) November 21, 2024
????: Jakob Vegerfors
PS: Iceland is still safe#Grindavik #Volcano #BlueLagoon #Iceland #Reykjanes https://t.co/x0ZSyJ2tXS pic.twitter.com/DgYjDjJWne
Though the Reykjanes Peninsula was laid dormant for 800 years, it’s been experiencing “a geological renaissance,” according to Newsweek. Unfortunately, experts advise it won’t stop anytime soon. "This activity will go on for maybe a decade, possibly decades," Tamsin Mather, a professor of Earth sciences at the University of Oxford, told the outlet. "Volcanism doesn't happen in a smooth fashion; it happens in pulses of activity and then quiet again."
A volcano near Iceland’s capital Reykjavik erupted for the tenth time in three years, spewing fountains of lava and smoke, the country’s meteorological office said https://t.co/QRKOuqdFmU pic.twitter.com/vDv1KJDuvX
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 21, 2024