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Dec 18, 2023

Iceland volcano erupts as thousands of people evacuate

To keep up with the latest developments about the Iceland eruption, check out our live updates page. A volcano in Iceland is now erupting after weeks of earthquakes rocking the region, according to a statement released by the Iceland Met Office (IMO) on Monday (Dec. 18). The eruption is happening...

Dec 19, 2023

Iceland volcano spewing enough lava to fill an Olympic swimming pool in 20 seconds

A volcano erupting on the Reykjanes peninsula in Iceland has opened a 2.5-mile-long (4 kilometers) fissure that appears to have stabilized and is spewing a curtain of lava, experts say. The eruption began on Monday (Dec. 18) at 10:17 p.m. local time (5:17 p.m. EST Eastern Time) following an hour-long...

Dec 19, 2023

Tonga volcano eruption was fueled by 2 merging chambers that are still brimming with magma

Almost two years after a humongous eruption rocked Tonga's Hunga volcano in the southwest Pacific Ocean, scientists have finally mapped the huge magma plumbing system that gave birth to the record-breaking blast. On Jan. 15, 2022, a volcano beneath the island of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai exploded with such force it...

Dec 20, 2023

Breathtaking photos show wall of lava erupting from volcano on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula

The seismic activity on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula finally erupted in spectacular fashion on Monday (Dec. 18), when after weeks of unrest, a fissure stretching 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) appeared at the surface and spewed a wall of lava up to 100 feet (30 meters) high in some places. The initial...

Jan 15, 2024

Iceland volcano: Situation in Grindavík has 'become very bleak' following new eruption

A volcano on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula has resumed erupting after a four-week hiatus, with new fissures opening near the town of Grindavík, the Icelandic Met Office (IMO) announced Sunday (Jan. 14). The eruption followed an intense series of earthquakes that began around 3:00 a.m. local time in the Sundhnúksgígar area...

Jan 15, 2024

Iceland volcano could erupt again 'without warning' as magma still moving beneath Grindavík

More volcanic eruptions could hit Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula in the coming days and weeks, the country's Met Office has warned. Two new fissures appeared in the south of the country on Sunday (Jan. 14) close to the town of Grindavík, with lava destroying three houses. We haven't seen events like...

Jan 17, 2024

'The area has reactivated': Iceland volcano gears towards another eruption leaving Grindavík in precarious position

Another volcanic eruption in Iceland could be imminent as magma continues to accumulate and move in a corridor that runs beneath the town of Grindavík, scientists warn. Authorities have also said that the land around Svartsengi, about 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) to the north, is continuing to rise — another...

Jan 17, 2024

'Grindavik remains at risk': Attempts to dam the lava from Iceland's erupting volcano could fail, volcanologist warns

Fountains of lava erupted from the Sundhnúkur volcanic system in southwest Iceland on Jan. 14, 2024. As the world watched on webcams and social media, lava flows cut off roads and bubbled from a new fissure that invaded the outskirts of the coastal town of Grindavík, burning down at least...

Jan 23, 2024

Heat bursts from Iceland's recent eruptions in eerie NASA satellite image

Eerie new NASA images have revealed the intense heat still emanating from the recently awakened volcano in Iceland. On Jan. 14, a volcano in Iceland's southwestern Reykjanes Peninsula erupted again after a massive eruption in December. In the nearby fishing town of Grindavík, newly opened fissures spewed lava that triggered...

Jan 26, 2024

Underwater Santorini volcano eruption 520,000 years ago was 15 times bigger than record-breaking Tonga eruption

Deep beneath the Mediterranean seabed circling the Greek island of Santorini, scientists have discovered the remnants of one of the most explosive volcanic eruptions Europe has ever seen. A giant layer of pumice and ash, which is up to 500 feet (150 meters) thick, revealed that around half a million...

Jan 26, 2024

Iceland villages in danger of 'crack collapse,' ground swelling following volcanic eruption

The ground beneath Grindavík, a small fishing town on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula, is so fissured following a volcanic eruption on Jan. 14 that it could collapse, the Icelandic Met Office (IMO) has warned. This crack collapse may occur in places where the ground is already unstable, according to a translated...

Jan 27, 2024

'Hunter-gatherers must have gazed in horror': What would Toba's supereruption have been like for our ancient relatives?

In this excerpt from Mountains of Fire: The Menace, Meaning, and Magic of Volcanoes (The University of Chicago Press, 2023) by Clive Oppenheimer, the author looks at the supereruption of Toba 74,000 years ago, and what impact it could've had on the ancient humans — or their relatives — living...

Feb 2, 2024

'Nothing is out of the question': Iceland volcano primed to erupt again, Grindavík still in danger zone

Another volcanic eruption could take place in Iceland in a matter of days or weeks, authorities have warned. According to experts with the Icelandic Met Office (IMO), 230 million cubic feet (6.5 million cubic meters) of magma has now entered the chamber sitting beneath Svartsengi, around 2.5 miles (4 kilometers)...

Feb 6, 2024

Iceland volcano: Mass of magma pooling beneath ground north of Grindavík indicates imminent eruption

UPDATE: The volcano in Iceland erupted for the third time at around 6:00 a.m. local time on Thursday (Feb. 8). The risk of a volcanic eruption on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula is once again growing as magma continues to pool in the area 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) north of the fishing...

Feb 8, 2024

Iceland volcano erupts for 3rd time, triggering lava fountains over 200 feet tall

A volcano in the southwest of Iceland has erupted for the third time in three months on Thursday (Feb. 8), opening up a new 2-mile-long (3 kilometers) fissure and spewing out large plumes of lava and ash. At present, the eruption poses no risk to local people, but has caused...