Iceland volcano erupts for sixth time since December

A volcano in southwestern Iceland erupted, spewing ashes and lava, the sixth such eruption since December, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office.
“A volcanic eruption has begun. A fissure has opened east of Sylingarfell,” the Icelandic meteorological office said in a statement.
The flare-up of the volcano, part of the Svartsengi volcanic system on the Reykjanes Peninsula, marks a continuation of intense geological activity in a region where eight volcanic blasts have been recorded since 2021.
The last eruption occurred in a part of a newly active volcanic zone in Iceland that had been dormant for eight centuries before activity that started last December, with its most recent eruption starting in May.
Scientists said they expected the zone to continue producing magma and generating eruptions every few months for years, possibly decades.
Halldor Bjornsson, head of weather and climate at the Norwegian Meteorological Agency, told the Icelandic news portal Vísir, that unlike previous eruptions, the lava flow is not heading for the town of Grindavik that was largely evacuated in December when the volcano came to life after being dormant for 800 years.
“With every eruption, we see new unforeseen events,” said Matthew Roberts, the managing director of the Icelandic Meteorological Office, which tracks volcanic activity in addition to weather patterns.
Iceland’s national airport and air navigation service provider Isavia said flights to and from Iceland were operating normally despite the continuing eruption.
The eruptions show the challenge faced by the island country of nearly 400,000 people as scientists warn that the Reykjanes peninsula could face repeated events for decades or even centuries.