Steam Pours Through Cracked Roads In Abandoned Icelandic Town As Volcanic Eruption Nears

Roads are cracking across the town of Grindavik in Iceland after it was hit with more than 20,000 earthquakes that scientists say signal an impending volcanic eruption. The barrage of seismic activity led experts to call for the evaluation of the town on the southwestern Reykjanes peninsula, as well as the closure of the Blue Lagoon hot spring.

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The earthquakes have been caused by volcanic activity below the surface, which has seen a column of magma rise through the rock so that it now sits just 500m beneath the homes of Grindavik, reports the Guardian. With the magma lying so close to the surface, experts warn that an eruption in the region could come at any moment, forcing them to call for an evacuation of the area and the closure of a nearby power plant and the Blue Lagoon hot spring.

As the quakes ripped through town, they have shaken roof tiles from homes, cracked walls and opened up gaping fissures in roads and pavements. Now, steam has been seen pouring from the cracks in the roads in a scene that looks straight out of an apocalyptic movie. The Guardian explains:

Lying between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates – which move in opposite directions – Iceland is a global hotspot for seismic and volcanic activity.

Although the size and intensity of the activity was decreasing, the met office said the volcanic hazard assessment remained unchanged, with the country in a state of emergency.

Despite the risk of lava suddenly spewing from the ground, residents of Grindavik were yesterday allowed back into their homes for five minutes to collect essential belongings. Huge queues formed on the roads leading to the town as its 4,000 inhabitants rushed back in to collect things like clothes and cats.

Residents were allowed into their homes for five minutes. Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS (AP)

Experts are warning that an eruption of the Fagradalsfjall volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula remains likely, with the Met Office of Iceland tracking the ground’s movements as it rises and shakes with the seismic activity underneath. Fast Company reports:

The Icelandic Meteorological Office (Met Office for short) has said that there is a “significant likelihood” of a volcanic eruption in the coming days. On one day alone, November 11, more than 800 earthquakes were detected in the area since midnight.

For now, all the residents of Grindavik can do is wait and watch to see the fate of their town unfold.