A volcano in southern Iceland, near Grindavik, began erupting in spectacular fashion Monday night following weeks of warning signs, including thousands of earthquakes.
Iceland’s Meteorological Office said the eruption opened an approximately 2.5-mile-long fissure and created lava fountains up to 98 feet high.
Last month, the 3,400 residents of the fishing village of Grindavík, the town nearest the volcano on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula, were evacuated in anticipation of the pending eruption.
The meteorological office reported Tuesday that the southernmost point of the erupting volcano was about 1.86 miles from the town, and that the eruption’s intensity was weakening. The lava also appeared to be flowing away from Grindavík.
There had been concerns an eruption could last weeks, but on Thursday morning, Iceland’s meteorological office said “no volcanic activity was observed” and that it appears “as though there is no activity in the craters.”
Here are some of the extraordinary images of the eruption:
Map shows location of the volcano erupting in Iceland
Faris Tanyos is a news editor for CBSNews.com, where he writes and edits stories and tracks breaking news. He previously worked as a digital news producer at several local news stations up and down the West Coast.
Thanks for reading CBS NEWS.
Create your free account or log in for more features.
[ad_1] The prostate, and why it causes so many problems for men – CBS News Watch CBS News In recent weeks, two prominent men, Britain’s King Charles and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, revealed they were dealing with prostate issues. CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook offers us a […]
[ad_1] PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Ariel Henry, Haiti’s embattled prime minister, will resign once a transitional presidential council is established and an interim leader is selected, Caribbean Community leaders said late Monday. The arrangement, announced after a lengthy meeting in Jamaica among Caribbean Community leaders and U.S. officials, paves the way […]