Volcanic Eruption on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula in Pictures, August 2022

Wednesday, 3rd August 2022

Pam Forrest

iceland eruption and lava meradalir 3aug22 rth sigurdsson

Iceland has blown its top… again! Less than a year since the 2021 eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula ended, magma has pushed through the surface of the Meradalir valley, around 1.5km north of Mt. Stóri-Hrútur in the south-west of Iceland.

Signs the eruption was imminent began on Saturday 30th July with a series of strong earthquakes northeast of Mt. Fagradalfjall where the 2021 eruption occurred. The current fissure eruption began shortly after 1pm on 3rd August 2022 producing a 300m-long display of glowing lava fountains. The threat to infrastructure is considered low and the site has opened to visitors.

Once again, long-time friend of Discover the World, photographer Ragnar TH Sigurðsson headed straight to the site to capture some incredible images.

iceland lava flow geldingadalir 3aug22 rth sigurdsson
iceland meradalir fissure eruption 03aug22 rth sigurdsson
iceland volcanic eruption near mt stori hrutur 03aug22 rth sigurdsson
iceland meradalir reykjanes peninsula 03aug22 rth sigurdsson
iceland meradalir lava fountain 03aug22 rth sigurdsson
iceland smoking lava meradalir reykjanes 3aug22 rth sigurdsson
iceland reykjanes peninsula volcanic eruption 03aug22 rth sigurdsson
iceland eruption glow visible from reykjavik 3aug22 rth sigurdsson

All images copyright RTH Sigurðsson, www.arctic-images.com

Ragnar Thor Sigurðsson

Ragnar is one of Iceland’s foremost photographers and has been shooting most of our images in Iceland for almost 30 years.  He has special permission to visit active volcanic sites which are off limits to all but a few scientists and his material has been used in prestigious publications all over the world.

iceland ragnar sigurdsson by volcanic eruption 03aug22

Feeling inspired?

Our 3-night Reykjanes Peninsula and Volcano Explorer self-drive includes a guided tour and hike to the new eruption or get in touch with our Travel Specialists about incorporating a volcano hike or flightseeing experience into a tailor made Iceland holiday.

Volcanoes are a large part of Iceland’s unique appeal. We operate a Volcano Hotline notifying lava enthusiasts of potential trips to visit live eruptions at short notice.

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