Molten rocks flow from fissures as Iceland's volcano Sillingarfell erupts for the second time in 2024

Molten rocks flow from fissures as Iceland's volcano Sillingarfell erupts for the second time in 2024

Molten rocks flow from fissures as Iceland's volcano Sillingarfell erupts for the second time in 2024

The latest eruption started on January 14 and lasted for almost two days. During that time, lava flows reached Grindavik's periphery, forcing nearly 4,000 of the town's people to flee.

Lava is seen streaming from a volcanic eruption location north of Grindavik in this drone shot obtained from Sillingarfell, Iceland.

A volcanic eruption has been reported from Silingarfell by Iceland's meteorological office. According to authorities, a third eruption in the area since December started on Thursday on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwest Iceland.

The meteorological office posted on its website, "Warning: Volcanic eruption north of Silingarfell has begun."

This year's outbreak is the second of six that have occurred in the Reykjanes peninsula since 2021.

The latest eruption happened roughly two days ago on January 14. Lava flows reached the edge of the fishing hamlet of Grindavik, forcing nearly 4,000 of its people to flee as some of their homes were destroyed by the fire.

Grindavik sits near the peak Silingarfell, but it was unclear right away whether the community will be impacted by Thursday's eruption.

With more than 30 active volcanoes, Iceland—which is about the size of the US state of Kentucky—is a prominent destination for volcano tourism, a specialized industry that draws thousands of thrill-seekers.

It reaches the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a fracture in the sea bottom that divides the tectonic plates of North America and Europe.

The Reykjanes Peninsula has not had an eruption in eight centuries as of March 2021.

Volcanologists believe that the August 2022, July 2023, and December 2023 fresh eruptions signaled the start of a new age of activity in the region.