Power and water outages continue in the area…A volcanic eruption in Iceland threatens to destroy the city as it is swallowed by lava.

Iceland, the “Land of Ice and Fire,” is now exposed to devastating natural damage.

In mid-January this year, an eruption occurred on the Reykjanes Peninsula. Magma at a temperature of about 1,000 degrees Celsius flowed into the fishing town of Grindavík through two cracks in the ground, causing fires in several houses. The protective barrier installed after the eruption last December was breached, and the magma reached the residential area. All 4,000 residents were forced to evacuate, and the town is still suffering from power and water outages.

Iceland is an island country located on an “ocean ridge,” which is the boundary where plates are born, and magma rises from the “ocean ridge. In other words, Iceland is an island that is “riding on top of magma,” and it is not surprising that an eruption could occur anywhere at any time. The eruption this time occurred near the capital, Reykjavik, so the people of Iceland were surprised,” said Hideki Shimamura, a professor at Musashino Gakuin University.

Five eruptions in less than three years since the eruption that occurred in March ’21. It is reminiscent of the eruption of Eyjafjallajöktor (Iceland) in 2010. At that time, volcanic ash was scattered over a wide area and more than 100,000 flights were cancelled. All kinds of air cargo, including medicines, electronic components, and perishable foodstuffs, were halted, plunging the world into chaos.

If the volcano continues to erupt, it could destroy towns and damage airplanes. Iceland and Japan are islands and volcanic countries. The possibility of a major eruption cannot be ruled out, triggered by the seismic activity that has been continuing in Japan since the Great East Japan Earthquake.

While we hope for peace and tranquility in Iceland, Japan cannot let its guard down.

From the February 2 and 9, 2024 issues of FRIDAY