Lava barriers partially protect Icelandic town

The barriers which were hurriedly erected in November and December 2023 by construction teams working around the clock successfully pushed lava from the first fissure away from the town from a first fissure which formed around 450 meters away.

However, a second crack later appeared at the edge of the town, which has been evacuated since November last year, spewing jets of lava which set fire to the homes.

“At 5.30am seismicity had reached the northern end of Grindavík and both seismicity and deformation measurements indicate the dike has since propagated beneath Grindavík town,” reported the Icelandic Met Office. “A new eruptive fissure opened at 12.10 this afternoon, just nowth of the town. Lava flows extruded from this fissure have now entered the town.”

A volcano spews out smoke as it erupts near Grindavik, Iceland, January 14, 2024. Picture: Gisli Olafsson via Reuters

In an address to the people of Iceland, Icelandic president, Guðni Jóhannesson warned that infrastructure may be under threat from the activity.

“What we all hoped would not happen has come to pass,” he said. “Although we find ourselves in turmoil, we must hold onto hope.”

Construction teams, led by Icelandic engineering company Verkís, braved dangerous conditions to build earth and rock barriers late last year, focusing their attention on protecting the nearby Svartsengi geothermal plant which supplies hot water and heat to 30,000 people.

Then, on 2 January, the team started to build a 2km long barrier close to Grindavík which is part of a proposed 7km protective wall to be built around the town.

Guđmundsson, division manager at Verkís said that despite the damage in Grindavík, he considered the barriers to be a success.

“I would say that the barriers have been holding up,” he told Construction Briefing. “Even though the southern-most fissure damaged a few buildings, the barriers held the majority of lava flow from the fissure north of the barriers.” 

The Blue Lagoon spa which is connected to the Svartsengi plant, said in a statement on its website that it was closed due to the eruption and would remain so until Tuesday January 16.

On 18 December lava erupted from a 2.5 mile long crack a few kilometers from Grindavík, flowing at a rate of between 100 and 200 cubic meters per second but it took place north of the watershed which meant that lava did not flow towards the town.