New fissures open near the eruption site in Geldingadalir, Iceland
Two new volcanic fissures opened near the eruption site in Geldingadalir, Iceland on April 5, 2021. Helicopters from the Icelandic Coast Guard were sent to the new eruption site to make sure the area is evacuated.
The fissures are in total 200 m (656 feet) long and are located approximately 700 m (2 300 feet) NE of the craters in Geldingadalir.
The lava from the fissures is non-viscous and flows fast in a narrow lava river into Meradalir valley, east of the new fissures, where a new lava field is forming.
Because of the lack of ash and tephra emission in the atmosphere, the aviation color code for Keflavik airport remains Orange as there is no imminent hazard for aviation.
Images courtesy Icelandic Met Office
Live stream:
Geological summary
The Krýsuvík-Trölladyngja volcanic system is described by the Catalogue of Icelandic Volcanoes as an approximately 50 km (31 miles) long composite fissure swarm trending about N38°E, including a 30 km (18 miles) long swarm of fissures, with no central volcano.
It is one of the volcanic systems arranged en-echelon along the Reykjanes Peninsula west of Kleifarvatn lake.
The Fagradalsfjall and Krýsuvík fissure swarms are considered splits or secondary swarms of the Krýsuvík–Trölladyngja volcanic system.
Small shield volcanoes have produced a large portion of the erupted volume within the system.
Several eruptions have taken place since the settlement of Iceland, including the eruption of a large basaltic lava flow from the Ogmundargigar crater row around the 12th century.
The latest eruption, identified through tephrochronology, took place during the 14th century.
Featured image credit: IMO
If you value what we do here, create your ad-free account and support our journalism.
Related articles
Your support makes a difference
Dear valued reader,
We hope that our website has been a valuable resource for you.
The reality is that it takes a lot of time, effort, and resources to maintain and grow this website. We rely on the support of readers like you to keep providing high-quality content.
If you have found our website to be helpful, please consider making a contribution to help us continue to bring you the information you need. Your support means the world to us and helps us to keep doing what we love.
Support us by choosing your support level – Silver, Gold or Platinum. Other support options include Patreon pledges and sending us a one-off payment using PayPal.
Thank you for your consideration. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Teo Blašković
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:
We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.