Intend to submit proposals for action today
Lava has started to go over the defense walls in some areas. mbl.is/Eggert Jóhannesson
The Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management intends to submit proposals for action to the Minister of Justice later today regarding further development of the defense parks on the Reykjanes peninsula.
The edge of the lava field lies just up to the defense walls and in some areas the walls are starting to become submerged.
“We have had further defense walls designed within this area where the lava has come and we are in the process of looking at how this can be beneficial. The lava simulation models and all such things need to be run so that we can propose to the ministers as we are supposed to do according to the law,” says Víðir Reynisson, Director of Civil Protection.
According to Reynisson, it is not yet known when the construction of new parks will begin. However, he says the process is moving forward.
“The system is set up in such a way that it should be able to progress quickly once we have delivered the data we set up. It just needs to be thoroughly developed.”
Raised the alert
The volcanic eruption at Sundhnúkagígar crater row, which began on March 16, is still amid the volcanic inflation of Svartsengi due to magma accumulation, a development that has not been seen since volcanic unrest started in the Reykjanes peninsula in 2020 after being dormant for 800 years.
Earth scientists have predicted that the magma under Svartsengi will follow the same eruption channel and greatly increase the power of the current eruption or that a new eruption will break out.
“We increased the alert level and increased the number of people on watch. We reviewed all our plans a while ago when it became clear what was going on with this inflation and possible changes to events,” Reynisson says.
Could end without a notice
The productivity of the eruption is very low and the lava flow is not a major risk.
“Today, [the lava] seems to be flowing westwards to an area that poses no danger. We see movement in that direction. According to the latest figures, the flow is very small, perhaps one cubic meter per second,” says Reynisson, and continues:
“We can see that this eruption we’re seeing now might end without much notice. It’s not that big a deal.
Southbound lava flows would be a concern
If the magma in the magma chamber under Svartsengi were to break up to the surface of Sund-hnúkagígar crater row, no matter, if it was in a new volcanic eruption or not, then a large and rapid lava flow to the south, would be a major concern for civil protection.
“On large sections there, the defense walls have become full – or at least they don’t need to do the job they were intended to do anymore, as is natural. But we also see that the landscape that has been created in the last few days in the lava field would be helpful in some way in moving it eastwards of the defense walls,” he says, adding:
“But all of these pipelines, whether it’s hot water or electricity, have been protected in the area by all measures possible.”
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