Overview

• The Icelandic Meteorological Office reported an intense seismic swarm before magma penetrated the crust and opened a 700 to 1,000 meter fissure along the Sundhnúkur crater row early Wednesday morning.
• Authorities evacuated residents in Grindavik, along with guests at the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, as a safety precaution following seismic tremors.
• Scientists assessed the eruption as relatively small, noting southeast-directed lava flows that have not threatened infrastructure or disrupted flights at Keflavík airport.
• Ongoing gas pollution warnings advised nearby communities to limit outdoor exposure as winds carried volcanic emissions.
• This marks the twelfth fissure eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula since reactivation in 2021, a phase scientists warn could persist for decades.