Iceland Volcano: Substantial Lava Flow Continues -- Iceland Met Office

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From the Civil Defense patrol flight on May 9. No lava splashes are visible in the crater, although smoke continues to pour out of it. (Photo: Civil Defense)From the Civil Defense patrol flight on May 9. No lava splashes are visible in the crater, although smoke continues to pour out of it. (Photo: Civil Defense)

Hazard assessment updated due to tephra fall

Iceland Met Office

Updated 29. May at 19:10 UTC

  • The main part of the eruptive fissure is about 2.4 km long

  • The lava has flowed over Grindavík Road and Nesvegur Road

  • The extrusion rate at the start of the eruption was estimated at 1.500-2.000 m3/s

  • Tonight, the wind direction will change to the southwest. Gas pollution could occur in the capital area tonight and tomorrow (30 May)

There is still considerable lava fountaining on the main part of the fissure, which is about 2.4 km long. The eruptive fissure extends south of Hagafell and lava flows vigorously from there, mostly to the south and west. Lava has flowed over the Grindavík road towards Þorbjörn, and onwards alongside the lava barriers west of Grindavík, inundating part of Nesvegur road. A part of the lava flowing to the south flows into a fissure by Hagafell, where it flows underground before emerging just north of the lava barriers northeast of Grindavík. A lava lobe north of Sýlingafell flows to the west and it is approaching Grindavík Road by Svartsengi.

Model calculations suggest that, as of 16:30 UTC, about 14 million m3/s of magma has flowed from the magma reservoir beneath Svartsengi to the Sundhnúkur crater row. The rate of deformation has decreased considerably, but magma continues to flow from the magma reservoir beneath Svartsengi to the Sundhnúkur crater row.

Shortly before 16:00 UTC, explosive activity began when the magma came into contact with groundwater where a lava flows into a fissure by Hagafell.  The magma causes the water to be quickly converted into a gaseous state (steam), causing steam explosions and tephra fall (ash).

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