For the fifth time since December 2023, a volcano in southwestern Iceland erupted Wednesday, May 29. The massive eruption spewed lava more than 150 feet into the air from the Sundhnúkur crater on Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula.
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The volcano erupted after a series of earthquake in the early afternoon. The eruption threatened the coastal town of Grindavík, which is home to the country’s biggest tourist attraction: the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa.
Grindavík is roughly 30 miles south of Iceland’s capital city, Reykjavík. It has been largely evacuated by its nearly 4,000 residents since November because of ongoing volcanic activity.
This latest eruption is the most powerful of the five to hit the region in recent months. It’s also the eighth since the volcanic system became active three years ago in March 2021 after not experiencing an eruption for 800 years.
{KARAH RUCKER}
A MASSIVE VOLCANIC ERUPTION IN ICELAND ON WEDNESDAY SPEWED LAVA MORE THAN 160 FEET INTO THE AIR.
AUTHORITIES HAD TO EVACUATE THE SEASIDE TOWN OF GRINDAVÍK — INCLUDING THE COUNTRY’S BIGGEST TOURIST ATTRACTION, THE BLUE LAGOON GEOTHERMAL SPA.
THIS MARKS THE FIFTH — AND MOST POWERFUL — ERUPTION IN THE REGION SINCE DECEMBER.
HOWEVER, MOST OF THE FOUR THOUSAND RESIDENTS OF GRINDAVIK WERE PERMANENTLY EVACUATED IN NOVEMBER BECAUSE OF the ONGOING VOLCANIC ACTIVITY.
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