Volcanic activity has “somewhat decreased” in the Reykjanes peninsula in Iceland, southwest of the capital Reykjavík, where a volcano erupted Friday night, the the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) announced Saturday.
The current eruption is “small” with the “volcanic activity” having “decreased somewhat” in the area, the agency said on Twitter. The eruptive fissure is approximately 500-700 meters long according to the IMO with the lava area spanning less than one square kilometer.
Despite this reduction in activity, the lava flows still pose a “local hazard,” the IMO said.
“Gas pollution is not expected to cause much discomfort for people except close up to the source of the eruption,” a further tweet added.
The IMO is continuing to monitor the gas emissions following Friday’s spectacular eruption which caused authorities to direct citizens away from the major Reykjanesbraut highway.
Concerns were raised about the proximity of the volcano to the country’s main airport, Keflavik International Airport, which is just a 25 min car ride from the peninsula.
CNN
