Government officials have prepared for the eruption for several weeks, monitoring the Reykjanes Peninsula for seismic and volcanic activity.
Topline
A volcano erupted in southwest Iceland on Monday, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said, after weeks of earthquake swarms led to the evacuation of a nearby fishing town and closure of the country’s world-renowned Blue Lagoon.Key Facts
The eruption occurred at 10:17 p.m. local time about two and a half miles northeast of Grindavik, a town of around 3,600 people who were evacuated from their homes last month after officials concluded a magma tunnel extended underneath Grindavik.
The eruption, which Iceland’s meteorological office had been expecting since mid-November, is endangering a geothermal power plant just miles away, University of Iceland volcanologist Thorvaldur Thordarson told the New York Times.
