Photos: Iceland volcano erupts, sixth since December

A volcanic eruption has begun again on a peninsula adjacent to Iceland's capital Reykjavik, the sixth time lava has emerged in the area in the space of a year.

Lava erupted to the surface at 9:26 p.m. local time, according to the Met Office. A fissure approximately 1.4 kilometers (0.9 miles) long has formed north of the previously damaged fishing town of Grindavik and is expanding northward, authorities reported.

A couple watching lava and smoke erupting from a volcano near Grindavik on the Icelandic peninsula of Reykjanes.

The scenario was anticipated, with scientists warning for several weeks of activity in the area after it woke from an 800-year dormancy in 2021.

"An eruption has begun in a similar location as last time," Kristin Jonsdottir, a geologist at the Met Office, said by phone. "It starts very powerfully. The volcanic rift is still expanding."

Iceland is one of the world's volcanic hotspots due to its position on the mid-Atlantic ridge where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates rift apart.

People taking pictures of lava and smoke erupting from a volcano near Grindavik on the Icelandic peninsula of Reykjanes.

Reykjavik, located approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) away, has remained unaffected by the previous eruptions, and air traffic at the nearby Keflavik International Airport is not expected to be disrupted. However, the devastation in Grindavik marks the most destructive volcanic activity in half a century, signaling a new era for the North Atlantic island nation as it faces ongoing challenges from these fiery outbursts.