The wall of the crater has collapsed

The wall of the crater has caved in with the overflowing lava flowing down to the north. According to Böðvar Sveinsson, a natural hazard specialist at the Icelandic Met Office, the situation is closely monitored.

“There was a little guzzle at first, but then it seems like it’s [the flow of lava] is steady,” he says noting that the lava doesn’t flow towards Grindavík town.

“It’s in the other direction, so we would be more worried if it crossed Grindavíkurvegur road again,” he says, adding that it’s still unclear exactly where the lava flows. The only thing that’s going to happen is to wait and see.

When asked about gas pollution in the area around the Blue Lagoon, he says it’s not very high, as the northern direction causes the gas to pass more widely over Grindavík. It is, however, extremely windy, so people probably don’t feel the pollution as much as they would in calmer weather.

Predicts the eruption is coming to an end

Volcanologist Ármann Höskuldsson says the change is a sign that the volcanic force of the eruption has decreased and predicts a volcanic end this week. Volcanologist Thorvaldur Þórðarson sees another scenario and says the eruption may still last for some weeks.

Reminiscent of the Geldingadalir eruption

“There is only one crater left, as it is now, and the power will gradually get smaller, and it’s nearing to its end,” Höskuldsson says.

“The fissure that opened is primarily northeast-southwest and as soon as pressure is done it closes, but then in the southern part of the fissure, it suddenly connects to a north-south fissure that closes less. That’s why the magma is still coming up there. It’s just open straight down.”

Höskuldsson now compares the behavior of the volcanic eruption to the eruption in Geldingadalir, in that the fissure doesn’t close: “On the contrary, it’s not giving in, but slowly emptying the storage tank underneath Svartsengi.”