Iceland is bracing for an imminent volcanic eruption as experts track the number of tremours and warn the seismic activity points.
A significant decrease in tremors, as opposed to the thousands recorded in the last week, has placed volcanologists on edge.
Scientists monitoring the volcano have said I65 tremors have been registered since midnight on Monday.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office’s Kristn Jónsdóttir explained to The Independent that a decrease in seismic activity has previously been observed as an indicator that magma is approaching the Earth’s surface.
A volcanic eruption in 2021 was preceded by similar signals.
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Margaret Hartley, a senior lecturer in Earth sciences, stated earlier this week that an eruption is imminent when a visible fracture connecting the magma dike to the Earth’s surface becomes exposed.
Ms Hartley said: “The process is a bit like shaking up a can of fizzy drink – as soon as a crack opens in the top of the can, the drink escapes with lots of frothing.”
She added: “I do think an eruption will take place, but the big question is when that might happen.
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“In these situations, things can change very quickly, If there is an eruption, it could occur even before we can predict it.”
Fagradalsfjall volcano is about 25 miles from Reykjavik and 650 miles from the Outer Hebrides, which is the UK’s closest location to Iceland.
Although the eruption at Fagradalsfjall would primarily affect Iceland, particularly the Reykjanes peninsula, the effects on travel in other countries could vary depending on the amount of volcanic ash released and the direction of the prevailing winds.
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