Earthquakes are measured near Grindavík
The last eruption at the Sundhnúkagígar crater row ended on December 9, 2024. mbl.is/Eggert Jóhannesson
The seismic activity at the Sundhnúkagígar crater row has slowed down, but yesterday morning four earthquakes were measured in quick succession. A natural hazard expert says that the next eruption is getting closer.
“The earthquakes continue to occur and in one week we have seen a clear increase in seismic activity,” says Steinunn Helgadóttir, a natural hazard expert at the Icelandic Meteorological Office, in an interview with mbl.is.
She says that seismic activity has increased at the magma chamber and in recent days there has been increased activity near Grindavík, both northwest and northeast of the town.
Getting closer
“These earthquakes that have been measured near Grindavík are something that we have not seen until before the last eruption and we assess that it is getting closer to an eruption,” Helgadóttir says.
She adds that the eruption is expected to be small, as has been the case in recent eruptions.
"The warning could be 30-40 minutes from the first signs until the eruption begins," she says.
