Photos of the eruption as Icelandic Met Office issues new warning

Last night the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) issued a new statement, confirming that the eruption that began on the 18th December has ended. However, in the last 24 hours over 90 earthquakes have been recorded in the Grindavík, Sundhnúksgígar, and Svartsengi regions – but the seismic levels of these are low. Due to continued monitoring of the ground uplift, the IMO warn that although this eruption is over, changes in uplift mean that “the likelihood of an eruption increases day-by-day.”

The hazard assessment for Grindavík remains considerable. The IMO go on to say, “We emphasise that conditions can change rapidly, and that weather conditions can significantly affect the sensitivity of our monitoring networks. Under such conditions, the warning time could shorten considerably.” So, although lava is not currently flowing, we are told another eruption could be on the way soon.

Although volcanic eruptions inherently bring serious danger, they have always attracted photographers, and for obvious reason. Here are some of the best photos from this most recent volcanic event:

Read the full update by the IMO here.