Brightness temperature images obtained by the NOAA-20 satellite’s Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite on December 18, 2023 (left) and December 19, 2023.
After weeks of warning, a new crack has appeared on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern Iceland.
The wait is over. After weeks of spooky earthquakes and geologists warning of a possible eruption, lava has begun pouring out of new fissures. Reykjanes Peninsula Occurred in southwestern Iceland late on December 18, 2023. The eruption was about 4 kilometers (2 miles) northeast of the town of Grindavik and about 50 kilometers (30 miles) southwest of Iceland’s capital Reykjavik.
The eruption began with lava spewing tens of meters high along a four-kilometer fissure, from which it flowed sideways. 5 vents. The brightness temperature image above (right) was acquired by VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite). NOAASatellite-20 at 4 a.m. local time on December 19, after the eruption began. Another image (left) shows the same area in the early morning hours of December 18 before the eruption. brightness temperature The measurements help distinguish the relative warmth or coolness of features on the Earth’s surface and in the atmosphere.
Observed volcanic dynamics
“What you see in these images is that the active lava flows are very hot compared to the surrounding land and clouds,” said Simon Kahn, a volcanologist at Michigan Technological University. “Areas of darker temperatures look like terrain where lava is flowing, but where eruptive fissures are not active and there is colder lava, or where gas plumes or clouds obscure the surface. It could be a territory.” topographic map In part of this area, three hills reaching a height of about 200 meters can be seen on the west side of the eruption fissure.
report The Icelandic Meteorological Agency said the lava is flowing primarily to the east and north, posing minimal risk to Grindavik, the Blue Lagoon and other nearby infrastructure. “However, the situation could change if lava accumulates and starts flowing in a different direction, if active fissures spread south, or if new fissures open,” Khan said. . “If the lava continues to flow north, it could eventually reach the main highway from Keflavik Airport to Reykjavik.”
Minimize the impact on air travel and safety measures
Icelandic authorities stress that the type of eruption that is occurring – a fissure eruption – does not typically cause large explosions or large amounts of ash being thrown into the atmosphere. As of December 19, flights to and from Iceland are unaffected, and international corridors remain open. According to Icelandic officials. Officials too I got it. The nearby town of Grindavik was evacuated on November 10 as a precaution, and the eruption is said to pose no threat to life.
NASA Earth Observatory imagery by Michala Garrison using VIIRS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE, GIBS/Worldview, and the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS).
Source: scitechdaily.com
