--- title: "Huge Crack Opens Up in Iceland, Steam Pouring Forth" description: "New aerial footage shows a massive crack splitting a town in Iceland in half and sending ominous steam into the air." date: "2023-11-13" modified: "2023-11-13" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/iceland-grindavik-volcanic" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "earthquakes" - "Iceland" - "magma" - "the digest" --- # Huge Crack Opens Up in Iceland, Steam Pouring Forth ![New aerial footage shows a massive crack splitting a town in Iceland in half and sending ominous steam into the air.]() *\Image: Road Administration of Iceland\* ## Magma Mayhem Thousands of [small tremors]() have rocked a region in southwest Iceland, roughly an hour's drive from the capital Reykjavík, last week, alarming residents. The Icelandic Meteorological Office announced today that there was a "[significant likelihood]()" of a volcanic eruption, and 4,000 residents of the nearby town of Grindavik were [evacuated]() over fears molten rock could rise to the surface. Officials are also worried a nearby geothermal power station could be hit. And now new [aerial footage]() is now circulating on social media, showing a massive crack splitting Grindavik asunder and sending ominous steam into the air. Some of these fissures have [moved buildings and roads](), alarming officials. https://twitter.com/WxNB_/status/1724076210311791005 ## Tremendous Uncertainty In short, it's an incredibly dangerous situation, and scientists have no way of telling what will happen next with any degree of certainty. "We believe that this intrusion is literally hovering, sitting in equilibrium now just below the earth's surface," Matthew James Roberts, director of the service and research division at the meteorological office, [told *Reuters*](). "We have this tremendous uncertainty now," he added. "Will there be an eruption and if so, what sort of damage will occur?" The area is nestled between the Eurasian and the North American tectonic plates, making Iceland an incredibly seismically active place. A powerful volcanic eruption could plunge the entire country into chaos. In 2010, an eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano caused major air travel disruptions, leading to more than 100,000 canceled flights, [per *Euronews*](). Fortunately, the residents of Grindavik are safe — but it's nonetheless a distressing situation. "It's not only the people in Grindavik who are shocked about this situation it's the whole of Iceland," one resident told *Reuters*. **More on Iceland:** *[New Volcano Bursts Forth in Iceland]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()