The Icelandic town of Grindavík and the nearby tourist site, the Blue Lagoon, have been evacuated following another volcanic eruption in the area. This marks the 11th eruption since 2021 in the Reykjanes peninsula, a region southwest of Reykjavík. The Icelandic Meteorological Office reported that an “earthquake swarm” began around 6:30 am at the Sundhnúkur crater row, similar to the location of previous eruptions, and led to an eruption at 9:45 am local time just north of the protective barrier near Grindavík. The eruption, characterized by an orange-red fissure expelling lava and smoke, quickly spread southward and by 10 am had reached through the defense walls north of Grindavík, with warning sirens activated in the town. By 10:30 am, the eruption was estimated to be 700 meters long.
Dramatic video footage showed magma spewing up from the Grindavík side of the defense barrier. The fissure continues to grow, with the possibility that it may extend further south. The fishing town of Grindavík, which has been mostly evacuated since a previous eruption in November 2023, saw the evacuation completed this time, with the exception of a few residents who chose to stay. The Blue Lagoon, one of Iceland’s most popular tourist attractions, was also successfully evacuated.
Ch Supt Runólfur Þórhallsson, Iceland’s director of civil protection, urged those who had remained in the town to evacuate, warning that this eruption could be more substantial than recent ones. The Blue Lagoon announced its temporary closure due to the eruption and pledged to provide updates as more information becomes available.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office indicated that the signals they were monitoring were stronger than those observed in recent eruptions, suggesting a significant amount of magma was moving in the area. The emergency responders in Grindavík reported feeling earthquakes and visible signs of deformation in the town, suggesting fault movements could occur within the town itself.
The Icelandic tourist board stated that there was no threat to the population and that flights were operating normally at Keflavík airport. The area around the eruption was closed off and closely monitored for potential gas pollution. Despite an initial decline in tourist numbers following the November 2023 eruption, visitor numbers have since slightly increased, with a 2% rise in foreign nationals passing through Keflavík airport and an increase in overnight hotel stays in November 2024 compared to November 2023.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/01/grindavik-iceland-and-blue-lagoon-thermal-spa-evacuated-after-volcanic-eruption
