A volcano erupted near Iceland's capital Reykjavik Monday, the country's meteorological office said.
"The eruption is taking place in a small depression just north of Litli Hrutur, from which smoke is escaping in a north-westerly direction," the office said.
Footage circulating in the local media shows a massive cloud of smoke rising from the ground as well as a substantial flow of lava.
Thousands of small earthquakes have been recorded in the area in the week leading up to the eruption, signaling that the magma below the ground was moving and an eruption was imminent.
The magma broke through the ground at around 16:40 GMT, just a few kilometers from two previous eruptions in the last two years.
The first was on March 19, 2021, in the Geldingadalur Valley and lasted six months and the second occurred on Aug. 3, 2022, in the Meradalir valley, lasting three weeks.
Prior to the 2021 eruption, the region had remained dormant for eight centuries, but volcanologists believe the new cycle of increased activity could last several years.
The effusive eruptions in this area so far have not been very dangerous, nor have they had any impact on air traffic.
