A volcano in southwest Iceland erupted after weeks of intense earthquake activity and the evacuation of thousands from the area. The Reykjanes Peninsula is experiencing a fissure eruption instead of an explosive eruption, where lava is basically oozing from cracks in the ground. This runny magma can severely damage infrastructure as it can widely spread across the landscape.

WSJ explains the science of fissure eruptions and the particular dangers they pose to the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland.

Photo: Civil Protection of Iceland/Reuters

Chapters:
0:00 Situation in Iceland
0:28 Explosive vs. fissure eruptions
2:05 Iceland’s volcanic history
3:25 What’s next?

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