Volcanic Fissures Spew Lava and Gases in Iceland

Residents and tourists in the Icelandic town of Grindavik were evacuated early on Tuesday, April 1, as two new volcanic fissures opened, one inside a defensive barrier.

The eruptions began at the Sundhnukur crater row, Iceland’s national broadcaster, RUV, said. Benedikt Gunnar Ofeigsson, geophysicist at the Icelandic Meteorological Office, said that the new fissures had likely opened because “pressure had built up to allow the magma intrusion that formed in January to expand further.”

One of the fissures had appeared to stop growing by the early afternoon on Tuesday, according to RUV. However, the fissure was still erupting and there was seismic activity that could indicate more eruptions, RUV reported.

Footage from Iceland’s Civil Defense agency showing the fissure was posted on Facebook on Tuesday. Credit: Iceland Civil Defense via Storyful