Drone gives stunning bird's-eye view of erupting volcano
Following weeks of anticipation, the long-dormant Fagradalsfjall volcano in Iceland began erupting on Friday night and continued to spew lava through the weekend and into the start of the week.
This is the first time in 6,000 years that the volcano has erupted, but nearby volcanoes on the Reykjanes Peninsula have erupted as recently as 781 years ago, The Associated Press reported.
The volcano is erupting in the area that recently experienced a swarm of more than 22,000 earthquakes near the end of February and into early March. Officials in Iceland had been warning that the swarm was a prelude to a volcanic eruption.
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The Fagradalsfjall volcano is located in southwestern Iceland and about 20 miles (32 kilometers) away from the capital city of Reykjavik. One of the closest towns is Grindavik, which sits about 6 miles away.
Iceland's Department of Emergency Management said it was not anticipating evacuations because the volcano is in a remote valley, about 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) from the nearest road, the AP reported.
The eruption thus far has been confined to a small area, with the Icelandic Meteorological Office tweeting on Saturday that the eruptive fissure was approximately 1,640-2,300 feet (500-700 meters) long with lava covering less than 0.38 square miles (1 square kilometer).
While the eruption site was originally blocked off to the public, by Saturday, people were allowed to make the hike to view the eruption, according to BBC News. And big crowds turned out to witness the spectacle over the weekend -- and, as it happened, experience the unique scent of the magma.
"It smells pretty bad," Úlvar Kári Jóhannsson, 21, admitted in an interview with AFP. "For me what was surprising were the colors of the orange -- much much deeper than what you'd expect," he said. "It's absolutely breathtaking."
On Sunday, scientists studying the ongoing eruption at the base of the volcano gathered for their lunch. They took advantage of the heat from the lava and used it as a natural grill to cook their hot dogs.
There was no immediate review on whether or not the pungent smell of the lava impacted the taste of the hot dogs.
Meanwhile, a drone flying over the volcano captured sensational footage of molten rock splashing out of the mouth of Fagradalsfjall as it was forced up from deep within the Earth.
On Monday, however, increased gas emissions once again closed the site.
There has been very little in the way of ash emissions associated with the eruption, which has kept impacts very localized. Should there be a more significant eruption with an ash plume, light winds through Wednesday are expected to keep any potential ash near the eruption site. By Thursday, wind can shift out of the southeast, potentially blowing towards Reykjavik.
While gas emissions at the site have occasionally been at dangerous levels, it is unlikely that the gas will reach Reykjavik at dangerous levels.
For anyone attempting making the trek to view the eruption, several bouts of rain and snow are expected through the rest of the week, but precipitation is not expected to be heavy.
The Fagradalsfjall volcano could continue to erupt for years, according to Thorvaldur Thordarson, a volcanology professor at the University of Iceland, in an interview with Reuters.
"It's a perfect tourist eruption," said Thordarson. "With the caveat though, don't go too close."
The lava has been flowing out of the volcano at a speed of around 175-350 cubic feet per second (5-10 cubic meters per second), which Thordarson explained is strong enough to keep the lava from hardening and closing the fissure. However, if the lava slows down the eruption could stop.
"It could end tomorrow or it could still be going in a few decades," stated Thordarson.
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