Volcano erupts near Iceland’s capital city

A volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern Iceland erupted Monday about 30 miles from the country’s capital of Reykjavík. It has shown increased seismic activity for months. At least 3,000 people were evacuated in November from the nearby town of Grindavik in anticipation of the eruption. The 2.5-mile fissure also poses a threat to the nearby Svartsengi geothermal power plant. However, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said Tuesday that eruption intensity was dropping and lava was flowing away from Grindavik. Officials also said gas from the eruption may reach Reykjavík and nearby areas by Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.

Will the eruption affect travel? Iceland’s main airport, Keflavík International, is less than 20 miles from the eruption site. The eruption prompted concern that the airport would need to be evacuated or that flights would be canceled if airborne ashes prevented pilots from seeing. But Iceland’s Foreign Minister Bjarni Benediktsson wrote on social media Monday that the eruption has not disrupted flights so far and confirmed that all international flight paths remain open.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD Archives, read Emily Belz’s report on flights canceled after Eyjafjallajokull erupted in Iceland.