Workers at the Icelandic Meteorological Institute are currently working on installing measuring devices in Gónhóll near the Fagradalsfjall volcanoes, due to new fissures that have formed there in the last two weeks.
The hill, which was named Gónhóll, was a popular viewpoint during the eruption, but is now surrounded by lava and only accessible by helicopter. The employees of the Meteorological Institute believe that the rifts are of tectonic origin (they result from the movement of tectonic plates stretching the Earth’s crust). They lie north of Gónhóll towards the lava tunnel southeast of the crater. Lovísa Mjöll Guðmundsdóttir, nature conservation specialist at the Icelandic Meteorological Institute, says the site is closely monitored. Work is underway to install GPS devices on the hill to measure ground movements and thermometers.
According to the information provided by the institute, it cannot be ruled out that the formation of cracks indicates that the magma is approaching the surface. If it is magma, the cracks will move even further and you will see gas and vapor rising from them.
Quelle: Yle
