Blue Lagoon in Peril As Iceland’s Volcano Roars to Life

Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula experienced another volcanic eruption on November 20, 2024, affecting major transport routes and nearing the popular Blue Lagoon spa. Prompt evacuations were executed as lava flows were captured in stunning satellite imagery.

Eruption Reawakens on Reykjanes Peninsula

After more than two months of dormancy, a volcanic fissure erupted again on Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula on November 20, 2024. Lava from the eruption spread across major roads and advanced toward the Blue Lagoon, one of Iceland’s most popular tourist attractions.

The Icelandic Meteorological Office reported that a swarm of earthquakes signaled the new eruption on the evening of November 20. Roughly five hours later, the VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) aboard the Suomi NPP satellite captured the nighttime image of the event below. The glow from the eruption appeared even brighter than the lights of Reykjavík, Iceland’s capital.

Satellite Imagery Reveals Lava’s Path

The image at the top of the page shows lava coming from an eruptive fissure near Stóra Skógfell peak, along the Sundhnúkur crater row—a similar location to the February 2024 eruption. This natural color scene, acquired by the OLI-2 (Operational Land Imager-2) on Landsat 9 on November 24, is overlaid with an infrared signal to help distinguish the lava’s heat signature. A plume of gas, consisting primarily of sulfur dioxide, streamed from the lava, although the eruption did not affect flights to and from Iceland.

Local Impact and Evacuations

The lava flowed east and west from the fissure, rather than toward the town of Grindavík. The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service reported that the latest event forced the evacuation of some of the town’s residents and the Blue Lagoon resort, a geothermal spa. A tongue of lava flowed over the car park of the spa, enveloping a small service building located there.

Ongoing Volcanic Activity

The Reykjanes peninsula eruption is the seventh in a series of events that began in December 2023. As of November 26, 2024, the Blue Lagoon was closed to the public, but lava movement toward the spa had slowed.

NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey and VIIRS day-night band data from the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership.

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