Volcanoes in seismically troubled island states have shown increased activity. A state of emergency has been declared in the south of Iceland due to the eruption of the Fagradalsfjall volcano. Before the awakening of the giant, an earthquake occurred in the country. A volcano erupted on Suwanose Island in Japan’s southwestern Kagoshima Prefecture.
A volcanic eruption occurred on the island of Suwanose in the southwestern prefecture of Japan, Kagoshima, RIA Novosti reports with reference to the NHK TV channel. The Japan Meteorological Agency announced a third level of danger – the volcano should not be approached within a distance of 2 km. Suwanose Island is home to about 80 people in a village 4 km from the volcano. The island itself is located 270 km from the city of Kagoshima. No casualties were reported as a result of the eruption. A crisis headquarters has been created to collect information.
Since January 1, Japan has experienced more than 1,200 earthquakes. The magnitude of the strongest earthquake was 7.6. As a result, about 180 people died and more than 560 were injured.
Suwanosejima is one of the most active volcanoes in Japan. Just 8 kilometers (5 miles) long and sparsely populated, this tiny volcanic island is a stratovolcano made up of alternating layers of solidified lava, ash and volcanic rocks ejected by previous eruptions. The volcano has two craters that have been active throughout human history.
One of the craters, named Otake, experienced periodic eruptions between 1949 and 1996. These eruptions were Strombolian eruptions, named after the Stromboli volcano in Italy, which spewed hot waste and lava bombs. After 1996, the volcano showed longer periods of calm. The largest historical volcanic eruption occurred in 1813-1814, when lava flows reached the coast.
A state of emergency has been declared in the south of Iceland due to the eruption of the Fagradalsfjall volcano. Before the awakening of the giant, an earthquake occurred in the country. The Fagradalsfjall volcano is located on the Reykjanes Peninsula. There have been four eruptions in this region of South Iceland since 2021. The last eruption occurred near the Fagradalsfjall volcano. But this time lava began to flow from cracks in the ground about 4 km north of the town of Grindavik. Residents were promptly evacuated. The barrier structures were able to divert the bulk of the magma flow, but on the evening of January 14, the lava still reached the outskirts of the settlement, destroying 3 houses. Now Grindavik is completely cut off from energy and heat supplies.
The most recent eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula began on January 14, 2024, following thousands of earthquakes in the area since October. Fortunately, local authorities predicted the eruption and were able to safely evacuate the nearby town of Grindavik as a precaution. But this is not the first time an eruption has occurred in the area. On 10 July 2023, a 900-metre (2,953 ft) crack opened in the ground between the peaks of Litli Hrutur and Keilir.
Fagradalsfjall’s first known eruption in 800 years began back in March 2021. After a series of earthquakes, cracks opened and lava began to fill the Geldingadalir Valley. And it continued to flow for the next 6 months. Then, on August 3, 2022, another eruption began in the nearby Meradalir Valley. But this cataclysm turned out to be much shorter – it lasted only 3 weeks.
On January 18, the Icelandic Meteorological Agency reported that the Svartsengi area continued to show clear signs of land uplift. In addition, since yesterday, about 200 earthquakes have been recorded near the magma conduit, the largest of which is magnitude 1.4.
The town of Grindavik, located in close proximity to Svartsengi, faces significant risks associated with current geological activity. The main problem is the possibility of soil collapsing into cracks that formed in the region back in November. Models suggest the magma lies shallow in the southern part of the conduit, where the ground appears to be highly fractured, making it easier for the magma to reach the surface. Thus, the possibility remains that new vents could open without warning.