Iceland: Volcanic Eruption on Reykjanes Peninsula that Started in May has Ended
The volcanic eruption that began at the end of May on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwest Iceland has come to an end on Saturday, as announced by meteorological services on Monday, June 24th.
Since Saturday, “no activity has been observed in the crater” where orange lava fountains had spewed north of the fishing port of Grindavik at the end of May, as stated by the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) in a press release. Evacuation of 4,000 people in November
This eruption, the fifth to strike the peninsula since December, occurred nearly three weeks after the end of a previous eruption that had been ongoing since March 16th.
Most of the 4,000 residents had evacuated Grindavik in November prior to the December eruption. Lava had flowed through the streets of the town during another eruption in January, engulfing three houses.
Other eruptions took place in August 2022, followed by July and December 2023, leading volcanologists to believe that a new era of seismic activity had commenced in the region.
Before March 2021, this peninsula had not experienced an eruption for eight centuries. Iceland is home to 33 active volcanic systems, the highest number in Europe.