• By Vivek Raj
  • Sat, 11 Nov 2023 12:17 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND
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Iceland declared a state of emergency on Friday following a series of powerful earthquakes in the southwestern Reykjanes peninsula, as many as 800 tremors within 14 hrs, possibly signaling an upcoming volcanic eruption. The Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management announced the state of emergency due to intense earthquake activity at Sundhnjukagigar, north of Grindavik.

The Icelandic Met Office (IMO) warned that an eruption could occur in several days. The village of Grindavik, home to around 4,000 people, lies three kilometers southwest of the Friday’s earthquake epicenter and has evacuation plans in place.

Two strong earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.2, north of Grindavik, were felt as far away as Reykjavik, 40 kilometers to the northeast. The seismic activity has damaged roads, leading police to close a key route to Grindavik.

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Since late October, the peninsula has experienced around 24,000 tremors, with nearly 800 quakes recorded in a dense swarm during midnight and on Friday. The IMO observed magma accumulation at a depth of about five kilometers, indicating a potential volcanic eruption.

While the most likely scenario suggests magma reaching the surface in several days, authorities are taking precautions. The patrol vessel Thor is dispatched to Grindavik for security purposes, and emergency shelters and help centers are set up in multiple locations in southern Iceland.

Tourist attractions, such as the Blue Lagoon and the Svartsengi geothermal plant, have been closed due to the seismic activity. The plant, a crucial supplier of electricity and water to 30,000 residents on the Reykjanes peninsula, has contingency plans in place to safeguard workers and infrastructure.

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Iceland, with 33 active volcanic systems, faces a unique geological setting on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, straddling the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. The Reykjanes volcanic system, previously dormant for eight centuries, experienced eruptions in 2021, 2022, and July 2023.