Volcanic eruptions can be both terrifying and fascinating. A volcano near Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, is having a bit of a hissy fit, kicking out lava at a site called Meradalir since its eruption began on Wednesday.
The Iceland Meteorological Office is monitoring the Fagradalsfjall volcano and sending flights to investigate its activity. So far, it isn’t threatening humans or infrastructure, and there aren’t any current disruptions to flights in the area.
Iceland’s mbl.is news site is offering a series of livestreams of the eruption, letting you choose between close-ups of the fissure or more panoramic views. I recently checked out the close-up and saw red-hot spewing lava kicking up like a fountain.
The panoramic view offers stunning scenery and helps to put the eruption location in perspective.
Fagradalsfjall had been on a vacation of sorts after erupting spectacularly in 2021. Last year’s lava party was the first time a volcano had gone off on the Reykjanes Peninsula in nearly 800 years. The volcano gave some advance warning of its 2022 intentions to erupt by unleashing a swarm of small earthquakes.
Volcanos can be a tourist draw, but the government of Iceland cautioned against visiting the site of the eruption, because of potentially dangerous gases spewing from the ground.
The livestreams could be delivering excellent views for quite some time. The 2021 eruption lasted for almost half a year. The volcano may continue to be more scenic than dangerous. Said the government, “The eruption is classified as a fissure eruption (often referred to as Icelandic-type) and does not usually result in large explosions or significant production of ash dispersed into the stratosphere.”
