On Saturday evening, another volcanic eruption began in Iceland. It is the 4th eruption to occur at Svartsengi on Reykjanes within 4 months. Around 8:30 p.m. local time, a 3-kilometer-long fissure opened east of Svartsengi. Lava fountains fed a lava flow spreading in multiple directions. Towards the south, it flowed at a speed of 1 km/h towards the coast. Just before reaching the coastal road, the flow speed significantly slowed down. In the west, the lava flow disrupted the road to Grindavik and stopped 200 m before important pipelines.
By Sunday, the lava discharge rate had reduced, yet eruptions were still observed at 3 sections of the fissure. The volcanic eruption stabilized at a moderate level, with no end in sight.
It was the strongest eruption so far in the Svartsengi system. Within 21 hours, 30 million cubic meters of lava were ejected. They cover an area of approximately 8 square kilometers.