Map shows where Iceland volcano is erupting for the fifth time in six months

A volcano not far from Iceland’s capital city has started erupting again for the fifth time in six months.

The Sundhnúkar craters, located on the Reykjanes peninsula which is home to about 30,000 people, has seen increased activity since it first erupted in December, forcing thousands of people to evacuate.

Worst hit has been the fishing town of Grindavik which saw several homes razed to the ground, and huge cracks forming in the earth and tearing up roads and buildings.

Iceland’s Meteorological Office warns this could precede an eruption or magma intrusion, and evacuations have started in Grindavik.

Warning sirens began to sound throughout the town earlier this morning, with emergency responders on-site to help people evacuate.

Incredible live footage shows magma spewing out of the ground in real time in four different areas across the peninsula, with smoke filling the sky.

Magma is spewing out of the ground (Picture: AP)

The lava is striking (Picture: AP)

Meanwhile this volcano crater is smoking (Picture: AP)

Lava is shooting around 50 metres into the sky from a fissure just over half a mile long.

In an interview with Vísir today, volcanologist Ármann Höskuldsson stated that, given the frequent earthquakes in the past few hours, it is highly likely that an eruption will start today.

‘Something has started to shake, and this will obviously end in an eruption,’ Ármann said, noting that the seismic activity had become quite intense near the Sundhnúkar craters.

The Meteorological Office’s website shows there were around 20 earthquakes in the area recorded within a two-hour period.

‘If this continues, it is very likely that an eruption will occur near Sundhnúkar,’ Ármann stated.

Iceland sits above a volcanic hot spot in the North Atlantic and sees regular eruptions – which thankfully means they’re very experienced at dealing with them.

The latest eruptions signal a reawakening of the Svartsengi volcanic system after almost 800 years of quiet.

Where was the Iceland volcano eruption?

The eruption isn’t far from the Blue Lagoon (Picture: Metro Graphics)

Increased geophysical activity on the Reykjanes peninsula since November of last year eventually forced Grindavik residents to evacuate.

Following weeks of increased activity but no eruption, magma finally breached the surface and erupted in December 2023.

There have been five eruptions in the area since then – and the area is well acquainted with volcanic activity, having seen eruptions nearby in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

It’s unclear when this ongoing high-activity period will end or what it means for the peninsula, one of the most densely populated parts of Iceland.

How close is it to Reykjavik?

The Reykjanes peninsula isn’t far from Iceland’s capital city at all – only about a 45 minute drive and 28 miles away.

There had previously been concerns that the recent eruptions could disrupt flights to and from Reykjavik’s airport, thanks to an increase in ash and smoke, harking back to the eruption at Eyjafjallajökull in 2010 which caused enormous disruption to air travel across Western Europe.

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Thankfully the impacts on the capital, and on air travel more generally, have so far been minimal.

Has the Blue Lagoon been closed?

The nearby Blue Lagoon geothermal spa has been forced to evacuate once again thanks to the increased seismic activity.

The spa was closed for several weeks due to the eruption risk throughout November and December, and in shorter intervals throughout 2024.

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