01/04/2021
Status on the ongoing eruption in the Geldingadalur valley:
After 12 days since the first release of lava, the eruption is still in progress, the lava flow is constant in the 5-6 m3 / s and the valley begins to fill up. Geologists estimate that within a few days, a lava flow will probably escape into the neighboring valley to invest new territory.
The eruption is very interesting because the magma comes directly from the mantle and comes out at temperatures over 1200 °C; the current process seems to be the formation of a shield volcano, a circular volcano which can extend over several tens of kilometers like the famous Skjaldbreiður (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skjaldbrei%C3%B0ur).
According to geologists the swarm of earthquakes caused the appearance of this eruptive fissure and only a real earthquake could block the duct to stop the eruption.
During this time, a large part of the local residents went to enjoy the show. 2 access paths have been set up by the Icelandic rescue teams, an emergency tent is now on site and traffic is regulated by the police with specific hours of access to the volcano so that the public can go there safely according to the weather conditions and the direction of the wind that carries the harmful gases from it (which for the moment have not impacted more than the region near the volcano).
Whether the eruption continues or stops tomorrow, the Geldingadalur valley and its lava field will become one of the most visited points near the capital in the years to come so the authorities are considering how best to develop the site and its access before tourism resumes in the spring.
You can see some pictures from the first days of the eruption here by our home photographer: https://www.behance.net/gallery/116036115/Volcanic-eruption-in-Iceland
and follow the eruption live here: https://youtu.be/BA-9QzIcr3c
photo below by the brilliant https://www.facebook.com/thrainnko
