New Eruption Finally Starts on the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland

It might have taken a couple weeks longer to start than initially thought, but the eruption that had been forecast on the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland finally started late Friday night. A fissure that measured a few hundred feet long opened and small lava fountains started erupting red-hot basaltic lava that formed short flows. Over the course of the next day, the eruption coalesced to form a spatter cone (more on that below) that sporadically collapsed, sending lava rushing from the vent. By Monday morning, the eruption was still going but at a slower rate than the initial salvo.