Iceland’s Blue Lagoon closes after being hit by 1000 earthquakes in 24 hours

The Blue Lagoon, Iceland’s geothermal pool, will be closed for a week due to seismic activity in the region.

The site is part of the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwest Iceland, a strip of land 50 kilometers long and 25 kilometers wide, close to the capital Reykjavik.

According to the Icelandic Meteorological Office, around 1,400 earthquakes were recorded in the 24 hours leading up to midday on Thursday, November 9, and another 800 in the first 14 hours on Friday.

Seven of the tremors that struck on Thursday were of magnitude four or greater – and all of them occurred on the peninsula and Sýlingarfell, a mountain east of the Blue Lagoon.

The strongest earthquake, measuring 4.8, was recorded west of Þorbjörn, a mountain located just over a kilometer and a half south of the Blue Lagoon. The tremor occurred minutes before 1am on Thursday (9).

In a bulletin also released on Thursday (9), the Icelandic Meteorological Office said it was the biggest tremor since activities began on October 25 and that while there is an accumulation of magma – a term used to describe molten rocks – seismic activity is possible, as magma increases the tension in the area.

Speaking to CNN, a spokesperson for the local tourism board said that the earthquakes could be felt in the capital Reykjavik.

Magma 5 kilometers deep

In the previous 24 hours, 1,200 tremors were measured. Most of them in the same area and at the same depth: about 5 kilometers below ground level. On Friday (10), seismological activity continued and 800 earthquakes had been recorded since midnight.

Friday’s bulletin warned that stronger tremors – of magnitude 5.5 – could happen due to underground magma buildup, but noted that there are no indications that magma is forcing its way to the surface.