--- title: "Angry Volcano in Iceland Just Threw Up an Apocalyptic 150-Foot Tidal Wave of Molten Lava" description: "In Iceland, a gigantic volcanic eruption has warranted terrifying videos alongside evacuations of nearby towns and tourist attractions." date: "2024-05-29" modified: "2024-05-29" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/iceland-volcano-erupts-fifth-time" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "earthquakes" - "Iceland" - "the digest" - "volcanoes" --- # Angry Volcano in Iceland Just Threw Up an Apocalyptic 150-Foot Tidal Wave of Molten Lava ![In Iceland, a gigantic volcanic eruption has warranted terrifying videos alongside evacuations of nearby towns and tourist attractions.]() *\Image: Almannavarnadeild / Anadolu via Getty\* ## Icy Hot A gigantic volcanic eruption has warranted [spectacular](), [terrifying videos]() alongside evacuations of nearby towns and tourist attractions in Iceland — and not, unfortunately, for the first time. As the [*New York Times* reports](), this was the fifth eruption at the Sundhnjukar crater row that sits atop the country's southwestern Reykjanes Peninsula since December. The last one that took place in March had just finished leaking magma three weeks prior. With this most recent spectacle, plumes of lava shot an estimated 150 to [160 feet into the air](), and video footage put on display just how colossal and powerful this volcanic fountain truly was. The fissure that emitted the magma, meanwhile, has grown to more than two miles long, [per the Icelandic Meteorological Office](). https://www.twitter.com/Reuters/status/1795897900209262691 ## Seismic Era The nearby fishing town of Grindavik also had to be [evacuated]() for a fifth time, Icelandic government spokesperson Helga Arnadottir confirmed to the *NYT*, and this one "went as smoothly as the ones before." Iceland's famous Blue Lagoon hot spring was also evacuated, as was the country's Svartsengi power plant, the [*Iceland Monitor* reports](). Remote pressure readings seemed to confirm that magma had entered the plant's system. The *NYT* reported back in January that the region surrounding Sundhnjukar was likely to experience even more volcanic unrest as seismometer readings indicated higher chances of earthquakes than normal. "A daunting period of upheaval has begun on the Reykjanes Peninsula," Iceland's president, Gudni Johannesson, said in a televised press conference at the time. "This new chapter....will last for a long time, \[and\] a large, populated area is at stake." Fewer than six months later, it's clear that those seismic predictions were correct, and now, folks in Grindavik and the area surrounding the volcanic hill and crater in question are being forced to live with the consequences. "What we all hoped would not happen," Johannesson said back in January, "has come to pass." **More on volcanoes**: [*Scientists Find Magnetic Anomaly in Lake Over Dormant Volcano*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()