(20 Dec 2023)
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Grindavik – 19 December 2023
1. Various AERIALS of lava fountains on the eruptive fissure and lava flows
HEADLINE: Iceland eruption has spectacular lava flows
ANNOTATION: The size of a volcanic eruption in southwestern Iceland was diminishing on Tuesday.
ANNOTATION: The Icelandic Meteorological Office says the lava flow was estimated to be a quarter of what it was when the eruption started Monday night.
ANNOTATION: The town of Grindavik, located 2.5 miles away, was evacuated in November after strong seismic activity raised fears of an imminent eruption.
SOUNDBITE (English) Helga Torfadottir, volcanologist, University of Iceland:
"There was much more activity last night, with 'fire fountains' reaching maybe 150 meters, now they are just few tens of meters. The activity has gone down a little bit, or quite a lot, so it’s very stable now.”
2. Various of University of Iceland scientists and researchers taking measures and samples standing on ridge close to the active vents
ANNOTATION: The spectacular natural phenomenon is proving hard for people to resist.
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Ingibergur Thor Olafarson, Grindavik resident:
"Coming today, getting the chance to be behind Sýlingarfell (mountain) and being so close to it and being able to fly the drone like, literally ten meters away, it's an amazing feeling. Born and raised in Grindavik, so seeing the eruption here I think (the location) is the best for our town, because this location is far away.”
3. Various AERIALS of lava fountains on the eruptive fissure and lava flows
ANNOTATION: The eruption could last days and isn’t expected to release ash into the air like another volcano did in 2010 that halted flights in Europe.
ANNOTATION: There were no disruptions of flights to and from Iceland on Tuesday and international flight corridors remain open.
ANNOTATION: Iceland, which sits above a volcanic hot spot in the North Atlantic, averages an eruption every four to five years.
STORYLINE:
The size of a volcanic eruption in southwestern Iceland continued to diminish on Tuesday afternoon, the Icelandic Meteorological Office reported.
It said the lava flow was estimated to be a quarter of what it was at the time of Monday night's eruption near the town of Grindavik.
The town near Iceland's main airport was evacuated in November after strong seismic activity damaged homes and raised fears of an imminent eruption.
The volcano sent a flash of light into the evening sky and spewed semi-molten rock into the air in a spectacular show of the Earth's power in the land known for fire and ice.
Volcanologist Helga Torfadottir from the University of Iceland said the eruption was expected to continue decreasing in intensity, but that scientists have no idea how long it could last.
"Behind me we have Iceland’s newest addition that started out last night and it’s slowly getting more quiet, but it might last a long time or it might last a short time, who knows," she said.
She said the lava ”fountains'' have also been falling.
"There was much more activity last night, with 'fire fountains' reaching maybe 150 metres (yards), now they are just few tens of meters (yards). The activity has gone down a little bit, or quite a lot, so it’s very stable now,“ she added.
Iceland, which sits above a volcanic hot spot in the North Atlantic, 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 and led to widespread airspace closures over Europe.



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