Iceland craves some carefree closed eyes after a quake from tens of thousands of earthquakes has been dormant for weeks in what scientists call an unprecedented seismic event, which could come culminating in a spectacular volcanic eruption.
“At this point we are constantly feeling. It’s like walking over a fragile suspension bridge,” Rannveig Gudmundsdottir, a lifelong resident of Grindavik town, told Reuters.
Grindavik lies in the southern part of the Reykjanes peninsula, a hot volcanic and seismic hotspot, where more than 40,000 earthquakes have occurred since February 24, exceeding the total number of recorded earthquakes last year.
Situated between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates, Iceland often experiences earthquakes as the plates move slowly in other directions at a distance of about 2 centimeters per year.
The epicenter of an earthquake in recent weeks is a large group of molten rock, called magma, moving about one kilometer (0.6 miles) below the peninsula, as it tries to find its way. pushed to the surface.
“We have never seen so much seismic activity,” Sara Barsotti, volcanic threat coordinator at the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) told Reuters.
Some of these earthquakes occurred at magnitudes as high as 5.7.
“Everyone here is so tired,” said Gudmundsdottir, a level 5 school teacher. “When I go to bed at night, all I think about is: Am I going to sleep tonight? “.
Many in Grindavik have visited relatives, spent time in summer cottages, or even rented a hotel room in Reykjavik, the capital, just to relax and have a good night’s sleep.
Icelandic authorities warned of a volcanic eruption near the peninsula in early March, but said they did not expect it to disrupt international air traffic or damage nearby emergency infrastructure. on hand.
Unlike the 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano, which disrupted around 900,000 flights and displaced hundreds of Icelanders from their homes, the eruption on the peninsula is not expected to spouting large amounts of ashes or smoking into the atmosphere.
Experts expect lava to erupt from cracks in the ground, possibly leading to spectacular lava springs, which could extend 20 to 100 meters in the air.
Already last year authorities implemented an emergency plan for Grindavik. One option involves putting locals on boats in the Atlantic, in the event of an explosion breaking roads to the remote village.
“I trust the authorities to keep us informed and evacuate us,” Gudmundsdottir said. “I’m not scared, just tired.”