Why Iceland Is So Worried About a Volcanic Eruption

The hurried evacuation on Nov. 11 of a fishing village on Iceland’s southern coast has drawn renewed attention to the island nation’s volcanic activity. While eruptions are frequent in Iceland, this time it’s an established community that appears be at the center of the danger zone.

The town of Grindavik has been inhabited since the country was first settled in the ninth century and is home to more than 3,600 people. While its residents are accustomed to quakes, the seismic activity has intensified since Oct. 25, when near-constant tremors began to shake the town, ripping up streets and damaging homes.

On Oct. 25, a string of earthquakes began near Svartsengi, home to Iceland’s most popular tourist resort, the Blue Lagoon. In the days that followed, scientists detected magma accumulating horizontally at a depth of about 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) by using GPS and satellite technology.

By Nov. 10, the earthquakes had intensified and shifted southwest toward Grindavik. Scientists concluded that magma was moving in a vertical dyke closer to the surface and under the town, which led to the hasty evacuation. As of Nov. 15, the Icelandic Met Office saw a significant likelihood of an eruption, though there was also the chance that the activity could die out.

An eruption was seen as most likely to occur along the dyke, which extends from the shallow waters off the coast of Grindavik and stretches northeast for about 15 km. The amount of magma underground far exceeded what was observed in the previous three eruptions, suggesting there could be a much larger discharge this time around.

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