Sudden Volcano Eruption In Iceland


Dormant Volcano suddenly erupts. Image from Al Jazeera.

Volcano Mount Fagradalsfjal has been dormant for the past 6,000 years. The volcano is located in Iceland and has remained at rest for centuries. That all changed on Friday night 8:45 PM, March 19th 2021, Mount Faradalfjal erupted and lava oozed from the volcano. The eruption took place in Reykjanes Peninsula. According to VOA News by Jane Doe, this location has not experienced an eruption in 781 years. 

Active erupting volcano. Image from Al Jazeera

A few weeks prior to the eruption, Iceland had been experiencing earthquakes. Just a few hours before the eruption, Iceland had just experienced a small earthquake. This was likely the cause and what led to the awakening of the volcano. That eruption site is considered to be relatively small compared to others. According to VOA News by Jane Doe, the eruption area was around 500-700 meters. Even though this was considered to be a smaller eruption, the lava that the volcano produced was so bright it glowed up the night sky in a 20 mile radius. 

As soon as the authorities knew about the sudden eruption, police sent out a tweet on Friday night to the people of Iceland telling them to stay indoors and to close all windows. Reason being when volcanoes erupt it can release toxic gases into the air, making it unsafe for people to breathe. 

According to CBS News by Jane Doe, the following morning the Icelandic Meteorological Office reported that the volcano had somewhat decreased and slowed down. It was still producing lava, but slowly but surely stopping. The volcano did not cause too much damage and for the most part had not cited major concern for the people in the area. 

Dormant volcano. Image from

Even though Mount Faradalsfjal was considered to be a dormant volcano that does not mean that it will not erupt again. According to Volcano Discovery by Jane Doe, a dormant volcano is an active volcano that is not erupting at the moment. The only way for a volcano not to erupt again, it must be an extinct volcano. This means that a volcano has not had an eruption for at least 10,000 years. Mount Faradalsfjal may awaken again one day, or might finally be at rest. Time will tell.