Iceland has evacuated a nearby town and world-renowned geothermal spa after the country’s latest volcanic eruption, the fifth since late last year, which officials say might be the strongest so far as the Icelandic capital Reykjavik is threatened by gas pollution.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office said late Wednesday there was “still considerable lava fountaining” on the Sundhnjukar mountain, noting it’s unclear how much gas is coming from the eruption site.
Gas pollution will likely affect Reykjavik through Thursday night, the agency said.
Grindavik—a town of about 4,000 people located 30 miles southwest of Reykjavik—and a nearby power plant were evacuated before the eruption, according to RUV, Iceland’s public broadcaster.
Magnus Gudmundsson, a professor of geophysicist at the University of Iceland, told RUV barriers built to protect Grindavik from lava flow have held, though there was “significant damage” to local pipes and roads.
The latest eruption is “now the biggest event to date,” Gudmundsson said, adding there was about twice as much lava flow than the previous eruption in March.
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Blue Lagoon, a popular geothermal spa in Grindavik, announced Wednesday it had evacuated and would temporarily close through Friday. The spa said it had been “reminded of the powers of nature” following recent “seismic activity” and “how they inevitably influence us all.”
Exposure to sulfur dioxide—a toxic gas emitted during volcanic eruptions—can cause severe irritation to the respiratory system, the eyes and skin, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Increased exposure could result in pulmonary edema, a condition caused by excess liquid in the lungs. The Icelandic Meteorological Office warned the gas could “be lethal at high enough concentrations for a long time” for those with asthma.
Wednesday’s volcanic eruption is the fifth for Iceland since December, following eruptions in February, March and earlier this month. The country experiences several volcanic eruptions and earthquakes each year because of its position on a tectonic plate. A string of eruptions started in December, after another volcano in the region erupted after weeks of thousands of earthquakes, prompting Grindavik to evacuate and the Blue Lagoon to close. Because of the eruptions, the country has reportedly experienced a downturn in tourism.
