Photos: Iceland volcano erupts again with stunning lava fountains

A volcanic eruption in southwestern Iceland appears to have subsided, though scientists are warning that the area may experience further eruptions in the coming months.

Iceland’s Meteorological Office said late Thursday that the eruption had decreased significantly.

The eruption began at about 6am local time on Thursday in the area northeast of Mount Sýlingarfell, the Met Office said.

It prompted the evacuation of the popular Blue Lagoon thermal spa and cut off heat and hot water to several communities on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern corner of the island.

Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir said authorities hope to restore hot water to the area by midday on Friday, national broadcaster RUV reported.

Benedikt Ófeigsson, a geophysicist at the Icelandic Met Office, told RUV that the area can expect an eruption every month or so over the next few months.

“In the long term, it’s very difficult to say, but in the short term, the next months, we will probably continue to see repeated magma intrusions and eruptions,’’ he said.

The Reykjanes peninsula had lain dormant for about 800 years until seismic activity started in 2020.

There have since been six eruptions, including the current one. The first three eruptions that occurred from 2021 were in uninhabited areas and posed little risk to people and infrastructure.

Iceland is one of the most geologically active places on earth due to its position between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates on the mid-Atlantic ridge. It has about 30 volcanic systems and more than 600 hot springs.