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Unlike the notable Icelandic volcanic eruption of 2010, which caused widespread disruption to air travel, the recent eruption in Iceland did not produce an ash plume, allowing Reykjavik's international airport to remain operational.
The eruption had been preceded by thousands of earthquakes detected on the Reykjanes peninsula since October, serving as a possible indication of an imminent volcanic event.
According to Grindavik mayor Fannar Jonasson, there was no immediate risk to infrastructure from the eruption. However, in November, approximately 4,000 residents of Grindavik were evacuated after scientists reported a shifting magma tunnel beneath the area. The ongoing series of small earthquakes, occurring at times in the hundreds per day, had caused damage to roads and buildings.
Authorities arranged intermittent trips to the village, enabling residents to retrieve belongings, including pets, photo albums, furniture, and clothing, from the most vulnerable parts of the area. While Iceland is home to 33 active volcano systems, making volcanic eruptions relatively common, the Reykjanes peninsula had not experienced an eruption for eight centuries until this recent event. Previous eruptions in 2021 and 2022 had occurred in remote and uninhabited regions, drawing large crowds of visitors due to the lack of danger to infrastructure and human life.
Volcanologists suggest that this recent eruption may mark the beginning of a new phase of volcanic activity in the region. The 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, a long-dormant ice-capped volcano standing over 1,660 meters tall, emitted significant amounts of ash into the atmosphere. Although there were no casualties, it resulted in the cancellation of approximately 100,000 flights and stranded over 10 million travelers.
Iceland, situated in the North Atlantic, lies across the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a fracture in the ocean floor separating the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. This geological positioning contributes to the country's high volcanic activity.
熔岩流减弱，冰岛火山喷发平静
与 2010 年冰岛著名的火山喷发造成航空旅行大范围中断不同，冰岛最近的火山喷发并未产生火山灰羽流，因此雷克雅未克国际机场得以继续运营。 自10月以来，雷克雅内斯半岛在火山喷发之前已检测到数千次地震，这可能是火山事件即将发生的迹象。
格林达维克市长范纳尔·乔纳森表示，火山喷发不会对基础设施造成直接风险。 然而，去年 11 月，科学家报告称该地区下方有一个移动的岩浆隧道后，格林达维克约 4,000 名居民被疏散。 持续不断的小地震，有时每天发生数百次，对道路和建筑物造成了损坏。
当局安排间歇性前往村庄，帮助居民从该地区最脆弱的地区取回物品，包括宠物、相册、家具和衣服。 虽然冰岛拥有 33 个活火山系统，火山喷发相对常见，但雷克雅内斯半岛已经有八个世纪没有经历过喷发了，直到最近的这次火山喷发。 此前 2021 年和 2022 年的火山喷发都发生在偏远和无人居住的地区，由于对基础设施和人类生命没有威胁，吸引了大量游客。
火山学家认为，最近的这次喷发可能标志着该地区火山活动新阶段的开始。 埃亚菲亚德拉冰盖火山是一座长期休眠的冰盖火山，海拔超过 1,660 米，2010 年喷发时向大气中排放了大量火山灰。 尽管没有人员伤亡，但导致约10万个航班取消，超过1000万旅客滞留。
冰岛位于北大西洋，横跨大西洋中脊，这是分隔欧亚板块和北美板块的海底裂缝。 这种地质定位导致该国火山活动频繁。
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