Volcano in Iceland erupts after being preceded by thousands of earthquakes

• A volcano erupted in southwestern Iceland, spewing semi-molten rock into the air in a spectacular show of Earth's power in the land known for fire and ice.

Key Points

• Iceland, which sits just below the Arctic Circle and above a volcanic hotspot in the North Atlantic
• Eruption in Iceland averages an eruption every four to five years.
• The most disruptive in recent times was the 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, which spewed huge clouds of ash into the atmosphere
• It led to widespread airspace closures over Europe.
• The current eruption is not expected to release ash into the air because it does not lie under water or ice.
• A volcanic range on the Reykjanes Peninsula, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) southwest of the capital
• Reykjavik has erupted three times since 2021, after being dormant for 800 years.

Volcanoes

• A volcano is a vent or fissure in Earth’s crust through which lava, ash, rocks, and gases erupt.
• An active volcano is a volcano that has erupted in the recent past.
• The mantle contains a weaker zone known as the asthenosphere and magma is the material present in the asthenosphere.
• Material that flows to or reaches the ground comprises lava flows, volcanic bombs, pyroclastic debris, dust, ash, and gases.
• The gases may be sulphur compounds, nitrogen compounds, and trace amounts of argon, hydrogen, and chlorine.

Prelims Takeaway

• Iceland
• Arctic Circle