Satellite observations unveil the lingering heat emanating from Iceland’s recently reactivated volcano.
New NASA images, with an eerie quality, disclose the persistent intense heat still radiating from Iceland’s recently reawakened volcano.
Following a significant eruption in December, another volcanic event occurred on January 14 in Iceland’s southwestern Reykjanes Peninsula. In the neighboring fishing community of Grindavík, newly formed fissures expelled lava, prompting evacuations, engulfing residences, and causing power outages in the vicinity.
Recorded on January 16, the latest NASA imagery captures the thermal signature of the lava streams flowing from fractures in the Earth’s crust. By integrating data from a thermal infrared sensor, a land-imaging satellite, and elevation models of the area, scientists gauged the heat emanating from various zones within the eruption area.
“A fissure eruption began at 7:57 a.m. local time on January 14, 2024, approximately 1 kilometer [0.6 miles] away from Grindavík,” noted NASA representatives. “Lava flows from the January 2024 eruption appear the warmest (yellow), while the still-warm December 2023 flows and the Blue Lagoon geothermal pool also stand out from the relatively cooler surrounding land.”
Continued volcanic activity in the region is causing uplift of the ground beneath the volcanic site near Grindavík. However, it’s premature to determine whether the rate of land uplift has accelerated since before the eruption on January 14, as per an update from the Icelandic Met Office on January 19. A series of earthquakes preceded the initial eruption, but GPS data indicates a decline in seismic activity in the area in recent days.
This sequence of eruptions results from a buildup of magma beneath the Earth’s surface, forming an underground conduit, or dike, spanning approximately 10 miles (16 kilometers) across the area. Eventually, the accumulated molten rock breached the surface.
Efforts by construction workers to construct large earth barriers and berms aim to divert the lava flow. Yet, the effectiveness of these measures in safeguarding Grindavík, home to 3,500 residents and a nearby geothermal power plant, remains uncertain.
Although the most recent eruption has ceased, the Icelandic Met Office officials caution of the ongoing risk of ground collapse into fissures within the town. Some experts anticipate further eruptions on the Reykjanes Peninsula, yet they cannot predict the timing or location of these events.
“We don’t know where the next one is going to happen and we don’t know how large it will be,” explained Carmen Solana, an associate professor of volcanology and risk communication at the University of Portsmouth in the U.K., in previous remarks to Live Science. “That’s the sad part of volcanology — we know that something is going to happen and you know roughly where, but you cannot pinpoint with that precision.”
