GRINDAVIK, Iceland — Lava from a volcanic eruption in Iceland flowed Sunday toward defenses around the town of Grindavik, which have so far held the molten rock back from the evacuated community. Scientists said the eruption appeared to be weakening and would probably peter out within hours. A volcanic system on the Reykjanes Peninsula in … Read more
GRINDAVIK, Iceland — A volcano in Iceland erupted Saturday evening for the fourth time in three months, sending orange jets of lava into the night sky. Iceland’s Meteorological Office said the eruption opened a fissure in the earth about 3 kilometers (almost 2 miles) long between Stóra-Skógfell and Hagafell mountains on the Reykjanes Peninsula. The … Read more
QUITO, Ecuador — A volcano on an uninhabited island in the Galapagos has begun erupting, lighting up the nighttime sky as lava tumbled down its sides toward the sea. The La Cumbre volcano on Fernandina island began erupting Saturday around midnight in what officials with Ecuador’s Geophysical Institute said could be its largest eruption since … Read more
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Tour booking agents and managers of a New Zealand island where a volcanic eruption killed 22 people in 2019 were ordered Friday to pay nearly $13 million (US$7.8 million) in fines and reparations. The holding company of the island’s owners, a boat tour operator and three companies that operated helicopter tours … Read more
YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia’s Mount Merapi erupted Sunday, spreading searing gas clouds and avalanches of lava down its slopes as other active volcanoes flared up across the country, forcing the evacuation of thousands. On the densely populated island of Java, Merapi unleashed clouds of hot ash and a mixture of rock, and lava that traveled … Read more
REYKJAVIK, Iceland — A volcano in southwestern Iceland erupted for the second time in less than a month on Sunday, sending lava snaking toward a nearby community and setting at least one home on fire. The eruption, which began just before 8 a.m. local time, came after authorities evacuated the town of Grindavik following a … Read more
NANAO, Japan — A series of powerful earthquakes hit western Japan, leaving at least four people dead and damaging buildings, vehicles and boats, with officials warning people in some areas on Tuesday to stay away from their homes because of a risk of more strong quakes. Aftershocks continued to shake Ishikawa prefecture and nearby areas … Read more
PADANG, Indonesia — Volcanic ash spewing from Indonesia’s Mount Marapi shut down airports and blanketed nearby communities on Sumatra island Friday. The nearly 2,900-meter (9,480-foot) volcano in the Agam district of West Sumatra province is about 113 kilometers (70 miles) north of Minangkabau International Airport in Padang, the provincial capital. On Dec. 3, Marapi shot … Read more
LONDON — Scientists anticipated the eruption of a volcano in southwestern Iceland for weeks, so when it happened on Monday night, it was no surprise. The region had been active for more than two years and thousands of small earthquakes rattled the area in recent weeks. Here is a look at what happened and what … Read more
Rivers of lava spewed from a fissure in the mountainside, snaking downwards and erupting in fountains of red and gold molten rock when the Fagradalsfjall volcano erupted this week in a fishing town in southwestern Iceland. The fiery liquid illuminates the smoke-filled sky in Grindavik, a small fishing town just 50 kilometers (30 miles) from … Read more