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yesterday

New Fissure Opens as Iceland’s Sundhnúkur Volcano Erupts for 12th Time

Authorities evacuated Grindavík, issued gas pollution warnings around the Blue Lagoon following an intense seismic swarm that opened a 700–1,000-metre fissure.

© Civil Protection Department of the National Police Commissioner
Handout picture released on July 16, 2025 by the Public Defense Department of the State Police Commissioner in Iceland shows lava and smoke erupting from a volcano near Grindavik on the Icelandic peninsula of Reykjanes. A volcano erupted on Wednesday in Iceland's Reykjanes peninsula in the southwest, weather authorities said, the ninth eruption to hit the region since the end of 2023. Broadcaster RUV reported that the nearby fishing village Grindavik had been evacuated, as had the Blue Lagoon, Iceland's famed tourist spot.
Iceland Volcano Eruption

Overview

  • The eruption began just before 4 a.m. local time on July 16 after an intense seismic swarm signaled magma intrusion beneath the Sundhnúkur crater row.
  • Magma forced through the crust created a fissure between 700 and 1,000 metres long, marking the twelfth event since the Reykjanes volcanic system reactivated in 2021.
  • Residents and tourists were moved out of Grindavík and the Blue Lagoon resort as a precaution against small lava flows and elevated volcanic gases.
  • GPS and ground-deformation data indicate this was a relatively small eruption with lava flowing away from infrastructure and no impact on Keflavík Airport operations.
  • Volcanologists warn that the Reykjanes Peninsula’s renewed fissure-eruption cycle could persist for decades, underscoring continued monitoring and preparedness.