As of Monday, nearly 4,000 individuals had been evacuated from Iceland in preparation for a potentially catastrophic volcanic eruption.
The archipelago has been shaken by over 30,000 earthquakes, many of which have lasted for up to five minutes.
These seismic events are recognized as precursors to substantial volcanic eruptions, and occasionally progress into a phenomenon referred to as a “harmonic tremor” once the eruption commences.
Many of those who were evacuated resided in the town of Grindavik on Saturday, when roads began to fracture and structures sustained structural damage.
New aerial footage from Grindavik, Iceland, shows a large crack in the center of the town with apparent steam emanating from it. pic.twitter.com/Mjlxafr8ot
— Nahel Belgherze (@WxNB_) November 13, 2023
“A couple of days is all that is required for an eruption to occur,” according to the Icelandic Met Office (IMO), as a 10-mile-long magma conduit develops beneath the town.
Given that the magma conduit seems to be directing towards the ocean from beneath Grindavik, the potential appearance of this eruption is indeterminate. Furthermore, its potential consequences beyond the territorial boundaries of Iceland remain uncertain, given the lack of knowledge regarding the magnitude and destructive force of this eruption.
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