WATCH: Volcano in Iceland Erupts After Being Dormant For Over 6,000 Years
By CBS News // March 20, 2021
eruption follows weeks of earthquakes in the area
A new video of the eruption at Geldingardalur valley in Reykjanes peninsula. Taken from the Coast Guard helicopter. #Reykjanes #Eruption #Fagradalsfjall pic.twitter.com/B862heMzQL
— Icelandic Meteorological Office – IMO (@Vedurstofan) March 19, 2021
(CBS NEWS) – The Fagradals Mountain volcano in southwest Iceland had been dormant for 6,000 years. But on Friday night, following weeks of earthquakes in the area, the volcano came to life.
The eruption is the first that the Reykjanes Peninsula, where the volcano is located, has experienced in 781 years.
Video of the eruption show the bright lava oozing out of the earth, lighting up an otherwise stark dark night. The glow from the lava could be seen up to 20 miles away from Reykjavík, Iceland’s capital, according to the Associated Press and photos of the glow.
Icelandic Police tweeted on Friday that people were to stay indoors and keep their windows closed to prevent gas pollution. When volcanoes erupt, the lava spews several potentially hazardous gases, including sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen fluoride, according to the United State Environmental Protection Agency.
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The eruption is small and the volcanic activity has somewhat decreased since yesterday evening. The eruptive fissure is appr. 500 – 700 m long. The lava area is less than 1 km2. Lava fountains are small and lava flows are currently a very local hazard. #Reykjanes #eruption pic.twitter.com/2YsSbGtIuZ
— Icelandic Meteorological Office – IMO (@Vedurstofan) March 20, 2021
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