24/7 Space News
SHAKE AND BLOW
Iceland may spray water on lava to save town
Iceland may spray water on lava to save town
by AFP Staff Writers
Reykjavik (AFP) Nov 22, 2023

Icelandic authorities on Wednesday said they were considering pumping water onto any lava that spews out if a volcanic eruption threatens the evacuated town of Grindavik.

Authorities would use the water to cool and divert the flow of lava to protect the fishing port of 4,000 people on Iceland's southern Reykjanes peninsula.

Residents were ordered out on November 11 after magma shifting under the Earth's crust caused hundreds of earthquakes -- a warning of a likely volcanic eruption. Thousands of smaller tremors have shaken the region since.

But in a bulletin on Wednesday evening, the Icelandic meteorological office said the probability of a sudden eruption "is decreasing every day and is considered low" due to declining magma flow and seismic activity.

Authorities said that a state of emergency in place since November 11 would be lifted on Thursday at 1100 GMT.

Grindavik residents will be allowed to return in coming days to collect belongings, a civil protection statement added.

Civil protection and European experts will assess the possibility of "using high volume pumping to cool down the lava to protect the town of Grindavik and important infrastructures," Vidir Reynisson, Iceland's Head of Civil Protection and Emergency Management, told reporters.

The method was used in 1973, when a fissure erupted just 150 metres (164 yards) from the town centre on the island of Heimaey, surprising locals at dawn.

Residents had been able to successfully slow and control the spread of lava.

"An assessment technical team will arrive in Iceland tonight or tomorrow morning and they will assist us in assessing the possibilities," Reynisson said.

Iceland is home to 33 active volcano systems, the highest number in Europe, and experiences an eruption every four or five years on average.

Grindavik is located near the Svartsengi geothermal plant, the main supplier of electricity and water to 30,000 residents on the Reykjanes peninsula, as well as a freshwater reservoir.

It is also near the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa resort, a popular tourist destination which has closed as a precaution.

Authorities have in recent days been building reinforcements around the Svartsengi plant to protect it in the event of an eruption.

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
When the Earth Quakes
A world of storm and tempest

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
SHAKE AND BLOW
Iceland PM says no country more prepared for volcano threat
Reykjavik (AFP) Nov 18, 2023
No other country than Iceland is better prepared for volcanos and other natural disasters, its prime minister said Saturday, as authorities brace for a potential lava eruption southwest of the capital Reykjavik. The roughly 4,000 residents of Grindavik, a fishing port around 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the capital, were evacuated on November 11 after magma shifting under the Earth's crust caused hundreds of earthquakes - a warning of a likely volcanic eruption. Thousands of smaller tremors ha ... read more

SHAKE AND BLOW
Big bang: Dutch firm eyes space baby

Cosmic currents: Preserving water quality for astronauts during space exploration

GreenOnyx's Wanna Greens Makes Space Debut Aboard SpaceX CRS-29 Mission

AI-Powered Space Situational Awareness Boosted by Neuraspace-Deimos Collaboration

SHAKE AND BLOW
SpaceX Starship disintegrates after successful stage separation

Progress in Starship test launch, but ship and booster explode

Starship Test Flies Higher: SpaceX Marks Progress Despite Late Test Incident

SpaceX poised for second launch of mega Starship rocket

SHAKE AND BLOW
NASA uses two worlds to test future Mars helicopter designs

Spacecraft fall silent as Mars disappears behind the Sun

The Long Wait

Here Comes the Sun: Perseverance Readies for Solar Conjunction

SHAKE AND BLOW
China's BeiDou and Fengyun Satellites Elevate Global Weather Forecasting Capabilities

New scientific experimental samples from China's space station return to Earth

Shenzhou XVI crew return after 'very cool journey'

Chinese astronauts return to Earth with fruitful experimental results

SHAKE AND BLOW
Amazon's Project Kuiper completes successful tests of broadband connectivity

Spire Global launches innovative constellation management platform

EBAD's NEA Payload Release Modules prove crucial in SpaceX Transporter-9 mission

A third pair of SES' O3b mPower satellites launches from Cape Canaveral

SHAKE AND BLOW
'Dolomite Problem': 200-year-old geology mystery resolved

NASA's Deep Space Optical Comm Demo Sends, Receives First Data

Japan PM says experts to talk in China seafood row

Rice researcher scans tropical forest with mixed-reality device

SHAKE AND BLOW
Webb detects water vapor, sulfur dioxide and sand clouds in the atmosphere of a nearby exoplanet

Webb follows neon signs toward new thinking on planet formation

Supporting the search for alien life by exploring geologic faulting on icy moons

NASA data reveals possible reason some exoplanets are shrinking

SHAKE AND BLOW
Juice burns hard towards first-ever Earth-Moon flyby

Fall into an ice giant's atmosphere

Juno finds Jupiter's winds penetrate in cylindrical layers

Salts and organics observed on Ganymede's surface by June

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.