GRINDAVIK, Iceland — Lava continued to spurt from a volcano in southwestern Iceland on Thursday however the activity had relaxed substantially from when it appeared a day earlier.
The eruption Wednesday was the 5th and most effective consideringthat the volcanic system near Grindavik rekindled in December after 800 years, gushing record levels of lava as its crack grew to 3.5 kilometers (2.1 miles) in length.
Volcanologist Dave McGarvie computed that the quantity of lava atfirst streaming from the crater might haveactually buried Wembley Stadium in London, which seats 90,000 individuals, under 15 meters (49 feet) of lava every minute.
“These jets of lava are reaching like 50 meters (165 feet), into the environment,” stated McGarvie, an honorary scientist at Lancaster University. “That simply rightaway strikes me as a effective eruption. And that was my veryfirst impression … . some numbers came out, estimating how much was coming out per minute or per 2nd and it was, ‘wow.’”
The activity when onceagain threatened Grindavik, a seaside town of 3,800 individuals, and led to the evacuation of the popular Blue Lagoon geothermal medspa,