Iceland - possible eruption due near the Blue Lagoon

[KenAdams]

Is anyone following this?

https://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/news/news/2023/11/03/coming_close_to_an_eruption/

The main concern is the power plant next to the lagoon.

There are constant mini eruptions happening too - https://vafri.is/quake/

Thanks for the updates Puffin

A UI scientist says it's a less powerful eruption than we've seen recently, which could mean it will last longer.

The Civil Protection authorities are prepping for potential lava cooling operations and further defensive walls. I suppose they've had plenty of time to work on their emergency response plans for all different kinds of scenarios.

One Grindavík resident has been arrested for threatening SAR volunteers with a gun!! Astonishing behaviour.

Wow that's crazy!

We're still feeling earthquakes here in the capital area.

Hot water pipes have apparently burst in the northern part of Grindavík.

Thanks @Puffinshop you are our eyes and ears!

I've just looked at some of the live cams and there doesn't look to be all that much going on at the moment.

Yes, it seems to have pretty much stopped now! But earthquakes are continuing so there could be more to come.

It’s amazing they’re still allowing tourists into the Blue Lagoon. It’s a big pool and not easy to scramble out in a hurry in some parts, plus I imagine evacuating barefoot over the surrounding lava field in a hurry would be difficult. When we visited a woman had gashed her foot on the lumpy pumice at the edge of the pool and was being wheeled to first aid to be patched up. I dread to think how many pages their risk assessment and evacuation plan runs to.

Thanks for the updates @Puffinshop, really hope everyone is safe.

I thought the BL was closed today?

@Zonder Yes, it was evacuated this morning.

One article I read mentioned guests being evacuated from the Blue Lagoon hotel.

The earthquakes are driving me crazy this evening. I keep jumping out of my skin 😄

Looking at the data they don't seem all that big but they must be perfectly placed to shake my house!

I can't help thinking there's something more to come. But we will see.

The earthquake data is insane, I can't believe how many there've been! They seem to be extending over such a long period of time, too. Puffin, can you remember if they went of for this long around the Nov '23 intrusion event, when all the cracks opened up in Grindavik?

https://www.vedur.is/skjalftar-og-eldgos/jardskjalftar/reykjanesskagi/

It went on for a few days in nov 23 when the original dyke was formed. A lot of the earthquakes will be stress related rather than directly caused by magma.

interestingly the centre point of the activity tonight is to the east of the dyke.
inflation appears to have resumed under the power plant also as well as significant inflation in the Vogar area. I suspect there is reason to now be concerned that the activity will move northward towards the main road.

Eeek, how worrying for the Vogar residents. There's been so much attention on keeping Grindavik and the power plant / Blue Lagoon protected, it would be unfortunate if something now happened at the northen end where there hasn't been any defensive work. I so wish someone could invent some radar type thing that could scan underground and show us what the magma's up to! It looks like the plumbing system really has changed a lot in this latest event..

That's quite an earthquake map!

It is indeed a worry some time for residents on the peninsula. Several families from Grindavik have resettled in Vogar too and to have to move on again would be horrendous.
equally of concern is the airport. Plans had been in progress to move the airport closer to the capital. But incidentally the area earmarked for a potential airport saw a huge amount of the earthquake activity this week. It wouldn’t surprise me if we see a shift to building a berm along the main road. The berms have proven to be successful in protecting Grindavik all these months

I remember watching a youtube video (most likely a Just Icelandic one) where they mentioned the plans for the new airport. They pointed out that the area that had been ear-marked was worringly close to an old lava field. And if it happened before, it can happen again!

The berms are so impressive. It fascinated me that they could be built so quickly and with so little fuss. In the UK there'd be planning consultations, a NIMBY petition to try and get them stopped, a rival petition to try and get them built, MPs appearing on the local news stating that "something must be done!" and, later, a controversy because the contractor turned out to be said local MP's brother or something.

In Iceland: "you need a berm? hold my beer". Enter stage left mahoosive diggers. Berm appears.

The trouble is that Iceland is entirely made up of old lava flows and magma intrusions. There are few places in the country where an airport or any infrastructure wouldn’t be at risk from either volcanic or earthquake activity. Up until a few years ago the peninsula was considered low risk (at least by Iceland standards!).

The people of Iceland are indeed incredible though and have seriously put up a marvellous fight against Mother Nature and succeeded in making possible the impossible. I don’t think anyone really believed the berms would work when they began building them. Indeed they were almost laughed at! But they have held firm.
Need a road building over fresh lava! - no problem! Just don’t stop on it 😂

Hello, checking in late but I've been following on FB. Checking the greenhouse was saved?

It’s still standing! The town quite literally has dodged another bullet this week. The eruption was very short lived.

Eruption number 12 started in the night. Someone from the Civil Protection Authority said they hope it's a short one that can release a bit of pressure in the system before they go on their summer holidays 😄

I've been catching up with Isak's footage from Day 1, it's stunning 🌋

@Puffinshop how's the air pollution where you are? All the webcams have been shrouded in smog since it started and I've read the met office reports about staying indoors with windows shut. I hope it's not too bad where you are.

Yeah it's hazy. You can still go outside unless you're particularly vulnerable, just maybe not to do any strenuous or extended exercise. It'll blow away once the wind gets up.