Iceland has evacuated more than 3,000 residents as a volcanic eruption in the coastal town of Grindavik continues to loom.
Since October 24, scientists at the Icelandic Meteorological Office have been monitoring a rise in seismic activity on the Reykjanes Peninsula, which may signal an impending volcanic eruption. After more than 1,400 earthquakes during a 48-hour period in the Grindavik area, experts warn of a very likely volcanic eruption in the coming days.
Experts with Iceland's Civil Protection Agency say the country is facing a tragedy like it's "not experienced before," prompting officials to declare a state of emergency as magma continues moving closer to the surface. They say the "greatest area of magma upwelling" is about two miles northeast of Grindavik.
"The evacuated town of Grindavík is very close to the position of the new fracture, and its survival is far from assured," Professor Bill McGuire, of University College London, told CNN. "Everything depends upon where magma eventually reaches the surface, but the situation doesn't look good for the residents of the town."
For the time being, the popular Blue Lagoon thermal spa has closed its doors due to the risk that a volcanic fissure could open up in the same area.
There is no way of accurately predicting if, where, or when a volcanic eruption could take place, or the possible size of such an eruption. However, officials say the situation is being closely monitored and constantly evaluated based on the best data available.
"It could become explosive if the magma interacts with sea water," Michele Paulatto, a research fellow at Imperial College London, told CNN. "If it erupts undersea, it could cause a Surtseyan eruption similar to the one that happened in 1963, also in Iceland, and created the island of Surtsey. That particular eruption lasted several years, so this is a possibility."
The magma could also cool and solidify, and never erupt at all -- though officials say "all signs now point to an imminent eruption."
Iceland is situated on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates diverge, making it one of the most active volcanic regions in the world. The country experiences a volcanic event every five years, on average. Three eruptions have occurred on the Reykjanes Peninsula in the last three years.
Seismic activity in Iceland is often due to magma movement beneath the earth's crust, which can result in magma seeking the easiest path to the surface and becoming a volcanic eruption.