Iceland volcano erupts weeks after thousands evacuated from Reykjanes Peninsula

On Monday night, a volcanic explosion began on the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland, causing the sky to become orange and raising the alert level for civil defence.

The eruption seems to have happened roughly two miles away from Grindavík town, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office. The scene's webcam footage seems to show magma, or partially molten rock, erupting along a hill's ridge.

Shortly after 11 p.m. local time, Iceland's Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management acknowledged the eruption and stated it had triggered its emergency reaction for civil protection.

It appears that the magma is flowing at a rate of at least 100 cubic metres per second, if not faster. Thus, at the at least, this would be regarded as a significant eruption in this region," Vidir Reynisson, the head of Iceland's Civil Protection and Emergency Management, said to RUV, the country's public broadcaster.

On X, the platform that was once known as Twitter, Iceland's foreign minister, Bjarne Benediktsson, stated that there are "no disruptions to flights to and from Iceland and international flight corridors remain open."

Geophysicist Vincent Drouin of the Icelandic Meteorological Office told CBS News, "We are closely monitoring the situation." He added that the explosion is "much bigger" and longer than the volcano's previous eruption.

The village of Grindavik was evacuated by authorities in November due to intense seismic activity that caused damage to nearby residences and sparked concerns of an impending eruption.

That month, thousands of earthquakes occurred in Iceland as scientists discovered indications of magma rising to the surface and as meteorologists warned that a volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula might happen at any time.

Drouin stated that whether or not lava eventually reaches Grindavik will depend on how much is produced in the first hour. According to him, a prolonged eruption would be "very problematic" since it would demolish part of the town.

A nearby power plant is a much greater worry, according to Drouin. Much of the peninsula would lose access to electricity and water if that station was damaged.

Scientist Magnus Tumi Gudmundsson told RUV that he estimated twice as much lava had already erupted as the entire month-long eruption on the peninsula this summer. Gudmundsson was flying over the location on Tuesday morning as part of a Coast Guard research trip.

According to Gudmundsson, the eruption should continue to weaken, although scientists are unsure of