Alert Phase removed from area
Update Mon 12 Sep 2022 08:01
3 weeks after the official end of the 2022 eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula, the National Police Commissioner, in consultation with the Suðurnes Police, has decided to revoke the Alert Phase that had been in effect,
Iceland Review reported.
Calm continues at eruption site
Update Fri 26 Aug 2022 12:21
Degassing at the eruption site continues (image: RÚV)
The eruption hasn't been showing any signs of reawakening for almost one week. Nevertheless, the end has not been officially declared yet.
The lava flow has stopped or at least decreased its advance as it has disappeared to ooze out from the main spatter cone observed in live webcams.
"There is a continuing small activity within the crater, but without any lava jets or streams visible in the last weeks. In addition, the seismic unrest started to drop rapidly late yesterday", says Sigríður Magnea Óskarsdóttir, a natural expert at the Icelandic Meteorological Office.
"It is impossible to say which direction it will develop, but my feelings tell me that it has reached a certain equilibrium. It may take few days, weeks or even months", says volcanologist Þorvaldur Þórðarson.
The aviation color code decreased from orange to yellow.
Only degassing dominates eruption site, it might come to end soon
Update Sun 21 Aug 2022 06:25
Gas emissions emit from the eruption site (image: visir.is)
During the past three days, the activity decreased enough to disappear the lava fountains in the crater.
The volcanic tremor has rapidly dropped and shows almost no amplitudes, as well. From available online webcams, only degassing is being observed from the eruption site.
The research team from the University of Iceland considers that the end of the eruption is likely coming soon.
This trend in the eruptive behavior is a way different compared to the ending episodes of the 2021 eruption. Whereas the recent eruption ceased rapidly, the ongoing event continues to show signs of gradually slowing down the eruption.
Lava flow map update, eruption site is open again
Update Thu 18 Aug 2022 13:57
Updated lava flow map (image: Benjamin Hennig)
An updated lava flow map (on 15 August) has been revealed to depict ooze outs through Meradalir valley escaping northward and eastward.
The lava at the easternmost point is close to overflowing the pass to the adjacent valley, but over the past days-to-week has flowed to the north.
The Civil Defense decided to reopen the eruption site in Meradalir to the public today as weather conditions went better.
Tourists are recommended to use proper hiking equipment.
Partial crater rim collapse captured in video
Update Wed 17 Aug 2022 13:41
Location of collapsed lava material in the black frame (image: @ar_etsch/twitter)
A spectacular partial crater rim collapse has been captured via visir.is live stream (see attached video) in the late night of 16 Aug.
Eruption site is closed today, weather alert status raised to yellow
Update Wed 17 Aug 2022 13:15
Very bad conditions as seen from Langihryggur webcam today (image: RÚV)
Given bad weather conditions in the eruption area, the site will be closed for tourists today.
A yellow weather alert status is in effect for the SW part of Iceland as a storm may reached up to 13-20 m/s accompanied by rain. Strong wing gusts are expected to occur near Kjalarnes and Hafnarfjall mountains which likely exceed 25 m/s.
Very poor conditions for outdoor activities such as hiking.
Activity continues at significantly reduced levels
Update Tue 16 Aug 2022 16:35
Graph of lava area, lava volume, lava discharge and gas release data (image: Institute of Earth Science)
The effusive eruption at the site rapidly slowed down.
This indicates results of aerial measurements from 13 and 15 August.
An average discharge flow rate seems lower during 13-15 August (4,1 m3/s) compared to 4-13 August period (11 m3/s). The fact also confirms data from the Pléiades satellite map published a few days ago.
However, it is impossible to say the end of the eruption is near or it is just a temporary decrease in the eruption.
About the gas pollution, as the wind direction turned out to the southwest this morning, there is a possibility to pass through the capital area of Reykjavík.
New aerial images
Update Tue 16 Aug 2022 05:47
Main spatter cone and escaping lava flow towards the north (image: loftmyndir.is)
Main spatter cone and escaping lava flow towards the north (image: loftmyndir.is)
Full-cone shaped spatter cone in early this morning (image: RÚV webcam)
On 14 August, the Loftmyndir, a company specializing in aerial photography, creation of maps and land models, took a flight over the eruption site to take new aerial images.
The main spatter cone seems to have already enclosed into a sizeable full-cone shaped edifice, producing constant small lava fountains feeding the lava flow running through the main lava channel towards the north.
New lava flow thickness map
Update Mon 15 Aug 2022 14:59
The lava thickness map (image: Joaquin Belart)
A new map measuring a thickness of the lava at Meradalir valley has been published.
The current lava flow field area is about 1.2 km2 with a maximum thickness of 20 meters and volume ranging between 0.7-10.7 m3.
The map is created via Pléiades, an emergency tasking platform for monitoring of volcanic eruptions.
In short, the Pléiades was collecting data via the CIEST2 in emergency mode during the first 10 days of the eruption which came to conclusion that the eruption continues at a similar rate as the previous eruption in April 2021.
Tourists nearly got themselves into serious danger when walked on fresh lava field yesterday
Update Sun 14 Aug 2022 17:34
Location of tourists walking on a new fresh lava field (image: Isak Finnbogason - ICELAND FPV)
Two visitors to the main eruption site narrowly avoided a self-provoked catastrophe and cruel death by lava flow.
Yesterday (13 August 2022) around 17:55 local time, two persons could be seen on a
viral drone video approaching a small red-hot lava flow close to the main spatter cone. They were likely unaware of walking on a new fresh crusted lava field, prone to collapse and sudden fall through it into molten rock. This was extremely risky to happen an accident immediately.
Dangers of the fresh lava flow field
Going onto the fresh lava surface is venturing onto very treacherous ground, and putting oneself into serious danger: even if the lava is already cool enough on the surface in many places and at first glance seems easy and safe to walked on, it is highly unstable ground essentially composed of glassy slabs and blocks of unstable lava.
Falling through the thin crusts into cavities underneath, stumbling and hurting oneself badly at the at lava slabs with knife-sharp edges is just one of the various risks involved. Others include getting into hotter-than anticipated areas, gas-becoming trapped in gas and steam pockets, or being surprised by new flows that can break out from tubes underneath, or fast-moving new surface flows. Accidents related to these hazards have frequently occurred on the lava flow fields of Kilauea on Hawai'i, but the presence of an active cone and the relatively small size of the area, the extreme dynamics of the Reykjanes eruption, only increase the risks.
People who ignore warning signs are calling for trouble, and unfortunately, the so-far generous attitude of authorities allowing and even facilitating access to the site, relying on common sense and easy-to-read warning signs, are due to change - thanks to the recklessness of a few ignorant people.
Activity declined for a while this morning, but restarted again
Update Sat 13 Aug 2022 18:45
The main cone continues to acquire a full-cone shape soon (image: Eva P. S. Eibl)
The activity decreased between 06:30 and 07:30 this morning, but only to restart about a while later.
Volcanologists and geophysics from the Icelandic Meteorological Office are about to research if this may lead to form new fissures. The same situation happened in the 2021 eruption as sharply dropped activity preceded the opening of new eruptive vents.
The lava flow hasn't escaped out of the Meradalir valley yet, but is expected to happen soon. Instead of that, it continues to travel towards the north.
About the main cone, it looks to form into a typical cone-shaped soon with a lava pond inside reminding a small cauldron of boiling lava.
The weather at the eruption site has been favorable today, but from a volcanic hazard point of view, gas emissions may accumulate in valleys.
Lava illuminates eruption site, spectacular fountaining
Update Fri 12 Aug 2022 22:48
Lava illuminates the eruption site (image: mbl.is)
Escape of the small lava flow (red frame) (image: mbl.is)
Glowing field of lava with small oozed lava on the left (image: mbl.is)
Main half-cone-shaped spatter cone (image: Brian Emfinger)
A beautiful view of the glowing lava flow field has been provided to watchers at the time of this update (approx. 22:00 GMT time) via
mbl.is live stream.
Small and intermittent above-average intense lava fountains are seen building the main half-cone-shaped spatter cone where hot, juvenile and plastic lava fragments form piles of coherent rock.
A small lava spill-out has been observed starting at about 21:33 local time that poured out into a small field of lava.
Scientists consider to built artificial dams
Update Fri 12 Aug 2022 19:11
One of several artificial dams built last year (image: @mblfrettir/twitter)
Authorities and geophysicists consider to built artificial dams in order to avoid damaging fiber optic cables and other important infrastructure.
Artificial dams are supposed to divert the lava flow expected in Suðurstrandavegi valley within a week or months. Barriers work only temporarily, but given the experiences from the last eruption in 2021, the idea is well worth it.
Engineers are expected to design the same dams in advance in case of the lava overflows into the Suðurstrandavegi valley.
Lava flow direction switched to north
Update Fri 12 Aug 2022 18:02
Main spatter cone dominates the current site (image: Brian Emfinger)
Lava flow field is continuously fed by spattering (image: Brian Emfinger)
The activity at the eruption site continues with little changes since yesterday, but has been stable for now.
The IMO institute reported that the main lava flow direction has transited from eastward to northward, but not into Suðurstrandavegi valley yet. According to the University of Iceland, it seems the flow continues to travel through narrow and steep chutes which makes the effusion rate higher and more abundant. A rising volume of slowly spreading field of lava on the east has been reduced due to direction change.
Lava continues to keep flow active, it might soon overflows into another valley
Update Thu 11 Aug 2022 15:05
Lava flow map (image: Benjamin Hennig)
Satellite image of the site showing the easternmost part of the lava close to overflow to Suðurstrandavegi valley (arrow) (image: map.is)
The lava flow front is travelling to the pass (image: RÚV)
The lava effusion continues to fill up the Meradalir valley on the east and might soon start overflowing into the adjacent Suðurstrandavegi valley. It may takes about one week to happen, but a more likely scenario is estimated to take weeks or months, says Magnús Tumi Guðmundsson, a professor of volcanology at the University of Iceland.
Observations indicate that the lava at the easternmost point in the Meradalir has risen by 4-to-5 meters in comparison to the last Sunday.
The advancing lava flow breaks the 2021 lava flow field into big slabs pushing ahead of it, even up the hill. The lava flow is currently approx. 150 meters from the pass (the lowest point) to overflow.
Stunning video of spattering and new photos
Update Thu 11 Aug 2022 10:50
Flowing lava with the erupting spatter cone in the background (image: almannavarnir)
New lava meets the old one (image: almannavarnir)
The current eruption site (image: almannavarnir)
Eruption site will reopen at 10 today
Update Wed 10 Aug 2022 09:56
Tourists on the way to watch lava fountains (image: RÚV)
The Civil Defense decided to reopen the eruption site in Meradalir to the public by 10:00 local time today.
Tourists are recommended to use proper hiking equipment.
Elevated activity this morning
Update Wed 10 Aug 2022 09:45
Spattering activity continues to feed the main lava outlet (image: mbl.is)
The activity at the eruption site increased this morning.
The height of fountains continues to reach by some lava jets over 100 meters.
It looks that the most of lava is going directly into a main outlet channel towards the Meradalir valley, where continues to overlap 2021 lava flow field. The remaining sheet-like lava is spreading on both sides of the fissure.
Eruption goes on as expected, it may take months
Update Wed 10 Aug 2022 04:54
Radar interferogram (InSAR) of the Reykjanes Peninsula with the significant ground deformation close to Grindavík (image: IMO)
The ongoing eruption at Reykjanes Peninsula is indicated to take quite some time.
This is a statement of scientists believing that the progress of the eruption is as expected.
An available satellite image of the Reykjanes Peninsula confirms a deformation of the surface since late July located NE of Grindavík (black frame). The ground deformation is a result of the M 5.5 earthquake on 31 July.
The latest GPS and seismic measurements don't indicate a presence of magma moving beneath this area.
Source: Icelandic Meteorological Office volcano activity update 10 August 2022UPDATE: eruption site remains closed today
Update Tue 09 Aug 2022 11:27
Visibility at the site is currently poor due to sustaining dense fog as seen in the live webcam (image: RÚV webcam)
UPDATE: A decision has been made to keep the area closed for tourists until further notice due to ongoing bad weather conditions.
Therefore, the Civil Defense and other emergency units in Suðurnes will make another appointment at 08:30 tomorrow morning to reassess the situation if the eruption will be allowed to watch again or not.
A visibility at the site is currently poor due to sustaining dense fog as seen in the
live stream.
Eruption site will reopen at 10 today
Update Tue 09 Aug 2022 04:51
The current eruption site (image: RÚV)
The Civil Defense and Public Safety decided to reopen the eruption site in Meradalir to the public by 10:00 local time today.
The site was closed for tourists over the past two days (7th-8th August), in order to avoid the storm passing through the tourist attraction and keep the public safe.
Source: Almannavarnir 9 August 2022Eruption site is closed for now
Update Mon 08 Aug 2022 06:06
The eruption site is currently closed for tourists since yesterday due to a storm, which is common in these latitudes.
The Civil Defense and other emergency units make an appointment at 09:30 local time today to reassess the situation if the eruption will be allowed to watch again or not.
Some lava jets surpass 100 meters in height
Update Sun 07 Aug 2022 15:39
Vigorous basaltic gas-rich lava spattering (image: Eldfjalla-og náttúruvárhópur Suðurlands)
The effusive activity continues with little changes over the past 24 hours.
Several fissure vents have been reduced to three vents since the eruption began, but continue at a higher intensity in each vent.
Pulsating lava fountains shoot a glowing plastic material up to 100 meters height that continues to feed the lava into a 1 km long stream toward the east of the crater (watch a video below).
A volcano-tectonic earthquake with magnitude M 4.1 occurred at 11:52 local time today on the Reykjanes Peninsula, west of Lake Kleifarvatn (5.6 km north-northeast of Krýsuvík, at 5.2 km depth).
Lava samples reveal similar composition to last year eruption
Update Sat 06 Aug 2022 13:38
K2O/TiO2 ratio is nearly the same as in the samples from the last year (image: Institute of Earth Sciences)
The Icelandic Institute of Earth Sciences took lava samples on the first day of the new eruption in Meradölum.
Magnesium oxide (MgO) concentrations in rapidly cooled glass were measured approx. 7.5% with titanium dioxide (TiO2) and potassium oxide (K₂O) ratio of 0.25. The 2022 lava has a similar composition to the 2021 lava.
A current lava temperature of the new eruption is 1190-1200 °C.
Magma likely comes from the upper part of the earth's crust where has remained over the past months.
Source: Institute of Earth Sciences volcano activity update 6 August 2022Eruption seen from Reykjavík
Update Sat 06 Aug 2022 12:25
Glowing SO2 emissions as seen from Reykjavík (image: Kristín Jónsdóttir)
The eruption is already seen from the capital Reykjavík as glowing steam rises up to the sky.
New lava flow map
Update Sat 06 Aug 2022 12:16
New lava flow map (image: Benjamin Hennig)
A new lava flow map of the new eruption has been published.
The map contains 2021 lava flows as well.
Hiking map to eruption site
Update Sat 06 Aug 2022 11:19
Green trail is recommended to get to the site (image: Björgunarsveitin Þorbjörn)
The rescue team Þorbjörn from Grindavík published a new hiking map to get to the eruption site.
The hike may take about 5-6 hours (7 km one way) minimum with an elevation gain of about 300 meters.
Tourists are recommended to get proper hiking equipment including food, headlamp and fully charged phone.
In addition, they are advised not to walk on the old lava as it is still hot and prone to fall through.
Interactive 3D aerial panorama of eruption site
Update Sat 06 Aug 2022 10:53
Screenshot from the website (image: Visit Reykjanes)
On the website of Reykjanesskaga's tourism office, Visit Reykjanes, you can now access a 3D image of the volcanic eruption in Meradölum. There you can see the ongoing "curtain of fire" accompanied by the forming lava flow field from the current eruption.
The 3D image is interactive and you can scroll in and out and look in all directions.
Here is the link: https://kuula.co/share/N8XJm?logo=1&info=1&logosize=180&fs=1&vr=1&zoom=1&autorotate=0.02&thumbs=1&margin=5&alpha=0.65
Magnificent drone video footage
Update Sat 06 Aug 2022 10:38
Bird eye view on the lava and lava fountains (image: Planet/twitter)
A beautiful aerial view of the current eruption site from a drone has been recorded - watch the video from Bjorn Steinbekk below.
Gas pollution forecast is available
Update Sat 06 Aug 2022 10:28
Gas emissions forecast for Sunday (7 Aug) afternoon (image: IMO)
SO2 emissions detected on 4 August (image: ADAM Platform)
The IMO reported that a new gas forecast model has been launched (
link here).
The forecast contains the presence of SO2 and SO4 emissions emitting from the eruption site and prevailing wind direction within the next 48 hours.
It is important to keep in mind that the vicinity of the area is dangerous to health and conditions may change rapidly.
The Norwegian Public Safety Council warns people to stay away from the site due to gas pollution with increased risk when the wind calms down. New fissures may immediately open without any notice.
Source: Icelandic Meteorological Office volcano activity update 6 August 2022Gas emissions threat tourists
Update Thu 04 Aug 2022 15:17
Gas plumes continue to emit at the site (image: IMO)
A gas dispersion forecast has been activated for the current eruption site in Meradalir.
People should be aware of gas pollution near the site and are strongly advised not to approach the eruption that can be harmful to health.
A new network for near real-time gas measuring will be set up tomorrow.
Source: Icelandic Meteorological Office volcano activity update 4 August 2022Spatter ramparts and spatter cone along fissure
Update Thu 04 Aug 2022 05:06
Spatter ramparts and the spatter cone at the current eruption site (image: Gisli Olafsson/twitter)
Spatter cone forming around the vent (image: Ben Edwards/twitter)
The effusive eruption has continued throughout the last night.
The continuous "curtain of fire" has been already building elongated steep-sided ridges due to piling up hot, juvenile and plastic lava fragments around the fissure, so-called
spatter ramparts.
The RÚV launched another
live streaming showing the better, full-size fissure view where
a new spatter cone is being observed that has formed above the vent.
The first estimated lava flow rate is about 20-50 m3/second.
The helicopter is flying over the eruptive fissure (source: @salvor/twitter)
New eruption is estimated bigger than previous one
Update Wed 03 Aug 2022 19:28
Halldór Björnsson from the IMO flies over the current eruption site (image: IMO)
Magnús Tumi Guðmundsson, a professor of geophysics, says that the new eruption is likely five-to-ten bigger than the previous eruption, but not the big one.
The new eruption poses no imminent threat to inhabitants and infrastructure as the site is far enough from the closest infrastructure. From the nearby morphology, it seems the lava flow will flow likely into Meradalir valley on the east-southeast or towards the north.
He warns about a gas accumulation as the fissure is in a depression and advises people to be careful.
A larger amount of gas emissions escape from the current site in comparison with the last eruption, says Elín Björk Jónasdóttir from the Icelandic Meteorological Office. A new network for near real-time gas measuring will be installed in the area in the next few days. She adds that the prevailing wind is supposed to change over the weekend.
Source: RÚV volcano activity update 3 August 2022Location confirmed + new aerial images
Update Wed 03 Aug 2022 18:49
The current eruption site seen from the sky (image: Kristín Jónsdóttir/twitter)
The new eruptive fissure, a helicopter as a scale (image: Evgenia Ilyinskaya/twitter)
The current eruption site seen from the sky (image: Kristín Jónsdóttir/twitter)
The exact location of the eruption (image: Volcanología Chile/twitter)
Scientists already published the exact location of the new eruption site.
The eruptive fissure is located approx. 3 km north of Langihryggur with an approx. length of 360 meters.
Fountaining continues along the full-length fissure, feeding a new lava flow field that sometimes overlaps (in the south part of the fissure) the lava flow field from the previous eruption.
Eruption continues - watch it live
Update Wed 03 Aug 2022 17:02
The eruption continues at modest intensity (although it is likely to gradually increase), as a typical fissure eruption with lava fountains forming a "curtain of fire" along an approx. 100 m long fissure that opened today at around 1.36 p.m. A sheet-like lava flow is slowly spreading on both sides of the fissure.
You can watch it live via the webcam of mbl.is on Youtube:
New eruption started
Update Wed 03 Aug 2022 14:15
New eruptive fissure accompanied by small lava fountains (image: mbl.is)
A new eruption started.
From available live webcams (
link here), a new eruptive fissure opened at about 13:26 local time today. Pulsating small lava fountains are seen from the fissure.
It seems the fissure is about a few hundred meters long, judging from the webcam imagery.
The eruptive fissure is located within the lava flow field at the same eruption site as the latest eruption in 2021, but the exact location is unknown for now and was not reported yet, however the IMO is ready to send a helicopter to detect a location.
Likelihood of new eruption has increased, magma at 1 km depth
Update Tue 02 Aug 2022 20:48
Earthquakes at Reykjanes Peninsula in the last 48 hours (updated 2 Aug 20:30) (image: IMO)
Depth vs. magnitude vs. time during 25 Jul - 2 Aug (image: Volcano Discovery)
A risk of an impending eruption has rapidly increased in the late afternoon today.
According to the IMO, magma injections already reached very shallow level at 1 km depth, supported also by continued deformation of the surface. This suggests that the flux of magma rising within the dike is significant.
A potential eruption is estimated to occur within the upcoming days or weeks.
New InSAR shows estimated location of dike intrusion
Update Tue 02 Aug 2022 14:54
Sentinel-1 interferogram during 20 Jul-1 Aug depicts a new dike intrusion (image: IMO)
The intense seismic activity continues.
A new radar interferogram revealed by the Icelandic Meteorological Office involves a current dike magma intrusion on Reykjanes peninsula between Keilir and Fagradalsfjall with the strongest earthquake so far with magnitude M 5.4 on 31 July.
Strong seismic activity continues with no signs of tremor so far
Update Tue 02 Aug 2022 08:54
Earthquakes at Reykjanes Peninsula in the last 48 hours (image: IMO)
Depth vs. magnitude during 25 Jul - 2 Aug (image: Volcano Discovery)
The ongoing intense earthquake swarm increased at 23:00 local time last night.
The IMO network registered another strong earthquake at 02:27 early morning today with magnitude M 5.0 at about 4 km depth located west of the Kleifarvatn lake. It seems that the activity is situated right here.
The quake has been felt widely in southwestern Iceland.
No tremor has been detected yet.
The reported hazard remains in place and poses the increased risk of rockfalls in the area caused by stronger earthquakes. People are advised to avoid steep slopes, cliffs and areas prone to collapse.
Source: Icelandic Meteorological Office volcano activity update 2 August 2022Fagradalsfjall volcano (Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland): volcanic-seismic crisis continues to evolve, earthquake M 5.4 yesterday
Mo, 1. Aug 2022, 07:43 07:43 AM | VON: MARTIN
Earthquakes at Reykjanes Peninsula in the last 48 hours (image: IMO)
The seismic record of the area (image: IMO)
Depth vs. magnitude during 25 Jul - 2 Aug (image: Volcano Discovery)
The seismic activity remains elevated and had been more frequent.
Nearly 3000 earthquakes in total have been detected since the phase began by the Norwegian Meteorological Agency, of which four were recorded with magnitude of 4 and more.
The first earthquakes depths measurements were located at approx. 5-8 km depth, but since 18:00 local time on 30 July have become shallower at depth of about 2-5 km.
At 17:47 local time yesterday, seismic instruments registered the strongest event so far with magnitude
M 5.4 located northeast of Grindavík. Shakes were even visible in the
live stream (see the attached M 5.4 quake video below). The earthquake was widely felt by inhabitants, some minor damages reported.
Magma continues to intrude under the surface and causes voltage changes NE of Grindavík and west of Kleifarvatn lake.
A similar scenario occurred in December last year, but doesn't seem to be powerful enough to trigger an eruption yet.
Source: Icelandic Meteorological Office volcano activity update 1 August 2022 Fagradalsfjall volcano (Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland): intense seismic activity, alert level raised to Yellow
Sa, 30. Jul 2022, 20:46 20:46 PM | VON: MARTIN
Distribution of quakes in Fagradalsfjall volcano area this afternoon (image: IMO)
An intense swarm of earthquakes has been occurring at Reykjanes peninsula, starting at noon today.
A series of earthquakes have been located northeast of Fagradalsfjall, of which the strongest one was measured with magnitude M 4.0 at 14:03 local time.
Earthquakes were located at depths between 5 and 7 km and are arranged in a northeast-southwest trending linear area. Quakes likely reflect magma intrusion shifting under the surface at shallow level.
Therefore, the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) and authorities raised the alert status to "yellow".
The current hazard poses an increased risk of rockfalls in the area caused by stronger earthquakes. People are advised to avoid steep slopes, cliffs and areas prone collapse.
Source: Icelandic Meteorological Office volcano activity update 30 July 2022
