Ninth Volcanic Eruption in Iceland since November 2023 – Lava Fountains Along a New Fissure
Last night, Iceland experienced its ninth volcanic eruption in a row. At 03:54 UTC, a new fissure opened in the northern part of the Sundhnúkur crater row, stretching several hundred meters. Lava fountains are erupting along the fissure, forming a curtain of fire and feeding lava flows into the surrounding landscape. So far, no infrastructure is at risk. However, a harmful gas plume is drifting northward.
Seismic Activity Began After Midnight
The eruptive fissure is located northeast of the volcanic cone Stóra Skógfell and southeast of Litla-Skógfell—an area that was already affected by an eruption in August 2024. Compared to earlier events, this fissure is significantly farther north. So far, the eruption appears to be moderate in scale. However, ongoing earthquakes suggest that a new magmatic dike is forming, possibly extending along the entire Sundhnúkur crater row. The seismic activity stretches from the northern outskirts of Grindavík almost to the highway between Keflavík and Reykjavík. Nevertheless, the magmatic intrusion itself is likely to be shorter than the full range of quakes would imply. Notably, the seismic events began earlier than during previous eruptions—shortly after midnight (UTC).
Eruption Surprises Scientists – But Not Everyone
For the volcanologists at the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO), the eruption appears to have come as a surprise. Just the day before, they reported that only about two-thirds of the magma expelled during the April eruption had been replenished underground. In my update yesterday, I cautiously warned of a possible imminent eruption, having already anticipated one during the second half of July. The current developments seem to support my theory that the large dike formed in April was primarily fed by melt from a deep magma reservoir beneath Fagradalsfjall. The erupted lava, on the other hand, likely originated from the shallower system under Svartsengi.