Iceland braced for volcanic eruption

A state of emergency has been declared in Iceland as it braces for a volcanic eruption. The magma under Fagradalsfjall is currently 800m from breaking ground, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office, and the south of the country including Reykjavík has been experiencing thousands of earthquakes since October. The town of Grindavik lies directly above the 15km river of magma making its way to the surface and residents have been evacuated as a precaution. Iceland is no stranger to volcanic activity – the ash cloud created by an eruption at Eyjafjallajokull in 2010 caused the largest closure of European airspace since World War Two. This may not be quite as catastrophic, as this volcano is not capped by a glacier so shouldn’t create the same level of pressurised steam.