Approximately 800 earthquakes have been recorded in Iceland since midnight (5.30 am IST), heightening concerns about a potential volcanic eruption. According to the Icelandic Met Office (IMO), seismic activity has shown no signs of abating since November 11.
The majority of the recorded quakes, measuring between 3-5 km in depth, centred around Sundhnuk, situated north of Grindavik. The continuous tremors have elevated the eruption risk to a 'high' level, prompting authorities to closely monitor the situation.
Authorities also raised their aviation alert to orange, indicating an increased risk of a volcanic eruption. Volcanic eruptions pose a serious hazard to aviation because they can spew highly abrasive ash high into the atmosphere, where it can cause jet engines to fail, damage flight control systems, and reduce visibility.
A major eruption in Iceland in 2010 caused widespread disruption to air travel between Europe and North America, costing airlines an estimated $3 billion as they cancelled more than 100,000 flights.
Concern about a possible eruption increased in the early hours of November 9 when a magnitude 4.8 earthquake hit the area, forcing the internationally known Blue Lagoon geothermal resort to temporarily close.
The seismic activity started in an area north of Grindavik where there is a network of 2,000-year-old craters, geology professor Pall Einarrson, told Iceland’s RUV. The magma corridor is about 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) long and spreading, he said.
“The biggest earthquakes originated there, under this old series of craters, but since then it (the magma corridor) has been getting longer, went under the urban area in Grindavík and is heading even further and towards the sea,” he said.
(With inputs from AP)
(Edited by : Ajay Vaishnav)
