Written by Prakriti Panwar, a grade 11 student.

A volcanic eruption recently took place in Reykjavik (capital of Iceland) for the first time in 900 years. Though the volcano has been inactive for a while now,  Geologists have suspected activity due to the 50000 earthquakes that have taken place in the past 15 months in the region.

About 3,00,000 cubic feet of lava was recorded, which also caused the sky to turn red. The magma- a molten or semi-molten material below the earth’s crust- pushed over towards the surface, causing minor earthquakes  However, the situation has now been handled and the authorities have cleared for air travel as well.

The eruption was apparently caused due to the shifting of tectonic plates in the region, but it has not led to any major harm to the nearby population. One of the problems could, however, be the release of sulphur dioxide-  a toxic gas and a by-product of burnt fossil fuels contaminated with sulfur compounds.  In fact, many reported that they also had a slightly difficult time finding their way back home. Hence, people are still being advised to not go near.

Iceland is considered a volcanic ‘hot spot’ as it is located between the Eurasian and North Atlantic tectonic plates, both of which move in opposite directions. Since the frequency of earthquakes had reduced in the recent past, geologists concluded that an eruption would be highly unlikely. Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) has also categorised the eruption as ‘small.’

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