Life Next to a Volcano

The town of Grindavík (grin-dah-veek) sits on the southwestern coast of Iceland. Until recently, it was a typical town in many ways. About 3,700 people lived there. Kids went to school. Adults went to work, many of them on fishing boats. 

Meanwhile, danger stirred beneath their feet. In November 2023, scientists discovered large amounts of magma building up in the ground beneath the town. Grindavík went into a state of emergency. Residents were evacuated to the capital city of Reykjavík (RAY-kyuh-vik). Then in December, a nearby volcano erupted. Lava seeped from cracks in the ground. Over the next few months, more eruptions followed. 

Volcanoes are a part of life for people in Iceland. But eruptions can be dangerous. That danger may threaten Grindavík for years to come, says Halldór Geirsson. He’s an earth scientist at the University of Iceland. 

Iceland has more volcanic eruptions than almost anywhere else in the world. Why? One reason is that the island sits on a hot spot. That’s a place where superhot magma burns through Earth’s crust, or outer layer. 

Iceland also sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This is a border between two tectonic plates (see Iceland Volcanoes, below). As these enormous slabs of rock pull apart, magma rises and collects underground. During an eruption, lava oozes from deep cracks called fissures. 

The lava released by these fissure eruptions isn’t as thick as other types. It’s thin and runny. That means it can flow great distances. It swallows up streetlights, buildings, and anything else in its path. 

Months after the eruption began, Grindavík residents still hadn’t returned home. Schools are closed for the 2024-25 year. 

When residents do return, the risk isn’t over, Geirsson says. Magma will eventually build up again and erupt. That’s why it’s so important to have many strategies in place to help keep people safe.