newsinsightplus.com 1944AttributionSoundsMost79AD March 22, 2024 0 Comments BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaRussia Ukraine war: Fleeing embattled border villagesPublished14 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsWar in UkraineImage caption, Nina Skorkina has now left her village near the border with RussiaBy Sarah RainsfordEastern Europe correspondent, Sumy regionWhen Russian planes began bombing her border village in northern Ukraine, Nina Skorkina refused to leave. Then a police team arrived and evacuated the 87-year-old anyway, with explosions all around. In recent days, other elderly and frail residents have been carried out on blankets across a bridge already damaged by air strikes. As Vladimir Putin celebrates securing another six years in the Kremlin, and vows to continue his full-scale war on Ukraine, attacks across the border have sharply escalated.Volodymyr Zelensky says nearly 200 bombs have been dropped on the Sumy region in north-eastern Ukraine this month alone. He accuses Russia of trying to “burn our border villages to the ground”.Image caption, Nina Makarenko was evacuated to a safer town, with just a few clothes and her own jamPolice and emergency workers have now rescued hundreds of people from the Sumy border area, moving them deeper into Ukraine and to safety. Many are from a cluster of villages around Velyka Pysarivka. Helped off a bright yellow school bus this week, Nina Makarenko told me the home she’d had to leave was in ruins.”They smashed up our houses. There’s nothing left,” she said.Her cheeks were bright with blusher and her lips painted, but all Nina had brought with her was a few clothes and some homemade jam. Before the war, she used to cross into Russia regularly to go shopping. Now Russian forces are attacking her home. “It’s scary. They’re shelling day and night.”The bus delivers the evacuees to the small town of Okhtyrka, where the local authorities have turned a kindergarten and a school into a temporary shelter. It’s cosy and there are psychologists working with children, with plenty of smiles and laughter. But on camp beds laid out inside a classroom, older women sit still, looking bewildered. They’ve lost everything they know and own.The first thing I hear as I enter the room is a plea for more help for Ukraine’s soldiers. ‘You can rebuild Mariupol – you can’t bring back the dead’Has Russia carried out war crimes in Ukraine?No choice for Ukrainians: More Putin means more war”Give them weapons to push the Russians back, that’s all we ask!” Valentyna says as she leaps up to greet me. “Their planes are dropping bombs on us, and we have nothing to knock them out of the sky!”The next outburst is one of anger at Vladimir Putin – who launched this war and who was just officially declared Russia’s president for a fifth term. “Putin is our enemy! He says he will destroy Ukraine!” Tetiana tells me passionately and mocks the Russian leader’s triumphant re-election. “He appointed himself!””What did we ever do to him? But look at how many people have been killed here, how many tortured. How many people have lost their arms and legs. And what for?”As Tetiana speaks, her elderly mother sobs uncontrollably beside her. Looking round, I realise almost everyone in the room is crying. Many villagers have abandoned the Sumy border area since last summer as it became more dangerous. Now, it’s almost impossible to stay. Images filmed by police rescue teams show streets of detached houses in utter ruin.Image source, Ukrainian National PoliceImage caption, Ukrainians say entire streets in border villages have been destroyed by Russian bombardmentOne possible reason for the upsurge in attacks is increased Ukrainian shelling of Belgorod, the biggest Russian city across the border. Vladimir Putin has vowed to respond, ignoring the fact that Russian missiles have been hitting homes and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine relentlessly for two years. The mayor of Okhtyrka has another theory for the escalation.”I understand that the enemy wants to create some kind of grey zone where military equipment can’t enter and where people can’t move in large groups,” Pavlo Kuzmenko suggests. We met in the town library because his own offices had been destroyed by a Russian missile strike. “Along the whole of our border, the enemy is gradually creating an area where Ukrainians will not be able to tread,” the mayor believes. There is another reason for the increased bombardment. Just ahead of Vladimir Putin’s return to the Kremlin, a group of Russian fighters announced an armed incursion from Ukraine – into their own country. The self-styled “liberation forces” wanted to show that Mr Putin had lost control of his border. That’s when villagers say the military air strikes on Velyka Pysarivka began.”The explosions didn’t stop for a moment.”Tetiana described life in the village then as “hell”. Image caption, Anti-Putin Russian fighters hold a press conferenceThe Russian forces are made up of men ranging from openly far-right nationalists to Siberian separatists. They’re linked by a belief that only armed resistance can change Russia now and remove Vladimir Putin. The size and military effectiveness of the forces, based in Ukraine and backed by Ukrainian military intelligence, is unclear.In Kyiv on Thursday, a spokesman for one of the groups said their ongoing raids had tied up the “Kremlin military machine”, scuppering plans for a new push into Ukraine.My own sources suggest there could be as much hype as actual fighting.When I questioned whether their self-vaunted achievements merited the destruction of Ukrainian villages, another spokesman said that civilians suffering was “sad”.But he said fighting an enemy like Russia “without victims and ruin” was impossible.It’s not only the fighting that families are fleeing in Sumy.The northern region has the only working border crossing in the country from Russia, making it the main route for Ukrainians escaping occupation.Every day, dozens of people from areas Russia has illegally claimed as its own endure a draining journey to reach territory controlled by Kyiv. The Kremlin says the occupied regions turned out to vote for Putin this month in large, enthusiastic crowds.Image caption, Children in a Ukrainian welcome centre for displaced peopleBut that’s not the picture painted by those who reach Sumy.This week, Zoya Vypyraylo and her husband Mykhailo travelled three days from a village in the southern Kherson region that’s now full of Russian soldiers. “There are so many of them. They set up in the houses. They’re in the fields. Their vehicles are moving all over. It was really scary,” Zoya confided, when she finally reached a reception centre. She says life under occupation changed her, radically: “I had no will. No energy. My spirit was crushed.”So she and Mykhailo gave up everything. They handed their home of 53 years to a neighbour and left their ducks, chickens and dogs. Image caption, Zoya and her husband Mykhailo (centre) have left everything behind in Russian-occupied territory”We want Kherson to be Ukraine. We really do. But we don’t believe it, anymore,” Zoya told me quietly, her whole body sagging from all kinds of exhaustion. To reach Ukraine, the pensioners had to drag their bags across a two-kilometre stretch of no-man’s-land.Pluriton, an aid group, then shuttles people from the border to a facility where it offers phone calls home, train tickets onwards, tea and hot food. All arrivals from occupied territory face a security screening by their own country. “When I look at these people, I remember myself,” Pluriton boss Kateryna Arisoy says. It’s not so long since she left her own home in Bakhmut, a city since razed to the ground.Image caption, After three days travelling from occupied areas, Zoya is finally able to call her son to say she is safe”I can’t find the words to explain that their former life, unfortunately, will never continue.”Zoya Vypyraylo knows that.”When we were driving here I started to cry. I breathed the fresh air, our Ukrainian air,” the pensioner tells me, her voice low but intense.For two years in Kherson she’s been pressured to deny her identity. Take a Russian passport. Even vote for Vladimir Putin, who ordered the invasion of her country. “We are Ukrainians. We want our country to flourish. For our children and grandchildren to live in peace,” Zoya tells me, then starts to cry. “I’m sorry. It’s really hard.”It’s slowly sinking in that she is free. But Ukraine is no closer to peace. Additional reporting by Hanna Chornous. Photos by Joyce LiuRelated TopicsWar in UkraineVladimir PutinUkraineUkrainian refugeesMore on this storyInside Ukraine’s struggle to find new men to fightPublished12 FebruaryPutin takes charge as Carlson gives free rein to KremlinPublished9 FebruaryTop StoriesPrincess of Wales undergoing cancer treatmentPublished38 minutes agoLive. At least 40 dead in Moscow concert hall attack, Russian intelligence service saysPeople take cover as gunmen enter Moscow concert hall. VideoPeople take cover as gunmen enter Moscow concert hallPublished2 hours agoFeaturesGrumpy gran aged 75 is global Fortnite sensationTrump poised for billions as stock market deal passesInside the ice cream van feeding familiesFleeing Ukraine’s embattled border villagesSolar eclipse spectacle set to grip North America againUFC star squares his Muslim faith with a career in the octagonWeekly quiz: How long did this woman take to climb nearly 300 mountains?Apple becomes the latest tech giant under siege’Help my brother first’: Gazan girl’s plea as entire family killedElsewhere on the BBCThe ultimate bromanceWatch the masters of satire Peter Cook and Dudley Moore with a look back through the archivesAttributioniPlayerHow did Emma of Normandy shape early medieval England?Greg Jenner and his guests step back in time to find out…AttributionSoundsAmbition, money and deceptionThe scandalous true story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos, starring Amanda SeyfriedAttributioniPlayerThe last eruptionMount Vesuvius is famous for destroying Pompeii in 79AD but it last erupted in 1944AttributionSoundsMost Read1Princess of Wales undergoing cancer treatment2What we know about Kate’s cancer diagnosis3Chancellor says £100,000 not a huge salary in Surrey4FA defends new England kit over flag design5Lost elderly couple drive around city for 10 hours6Trump poised for billions as stock market deal passes7Stranger Things actor to officiate co-star’s wedding8Eyewitnesses tell of panic as gunmen open fire in Moscow hall9Legal warning over Barclay waste project decision10Life sentence for man who murdered couple with fentanyl [ad_1] Ukrainians are fleeing villages close to Russia amid a rise in cross-border attacks. Continue reading
newsinsightplus.com 1944AttributionSoundsMost79AD March 22, 2024 0 Comments BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaRussia Ukraine war: Fleeing embattled border villagesPublished14 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsWar in UkraineImage caption, Nina Skorkina has now left her village near the border with RussiaBy Sarah RainsfordEastern Europe correspondent, Sumy regionWhen Russian planes began bombing her border village in northern Ukraine, Nina Skorkina refused to leave. Then a police team arrived and evacuated the 87-year-old anyway, with explosions all around. In recent days, other elderly and frail residents have been carried out on blankets across a bridge already damaged by air strikes. As Vladimir Putin celebrates securing another six years in the Kremlin, and vows to continue his full-scale war on Ukraine, attacks across the border have sharply escalated.Volodymyr Zelensky says nearly 200 bombs have been dropped on the Sumy region in north-eastern Ukraine this month alone. He accuses Russia of trying to “burn our border villages to the ground”.Image caption, Nina Makarenko was evacuated to a safer town, with just a few clothes and her own jamPolice and emergency workers have now rescued hundreds of people from the Sumy border area, moving them deeper into Ukraine and to safety. Many are from a cluster of villages around Velyka Pysarivka. Helped off a bright yellow school bus this week, Nina Makarenko told me the home she’d had to leave was in ruins.”They smashed up our houses. There’s nothing left,” she said.Her cheeks were bright with blusher and her lips painted, but all Nina had brought with her was a few clothes and some homemade jam. Before the war, she used to cross into Russia regularly to go shopping. Now Russian forces are attacking her home. “It’s scary. They’re shelling day and night.”The bus delivers the evacuees to the small town of Okhtyrka, where the local authorities have turned a kindergarten and a school into a temporary shelter. It’s cosy and there are psychologists working with children, with plenty of smiles and laughter. But on camp beds laid out inside a classroom, older women sit still, looking bewildered. They’ve lost everything they know and own.The first thing I hear as I enter the room is a plea for more help for Ukraine’s soldiers. ‘You can rebuild Mariupol – you can’t bring back the dead’Has Russia carried out war crimes in Ukraine?No choice for Ukrainians: More Putin means more war”Give them weapons to push the Russians back, that’s all we ask!” Valentyna says as she leaps up to greet me. “Their planes are dropping bombs on us, and we have nothing to knock them out of the sky!”The next outburst is one of anger at Vladimir Putin – who launched this war and who was just officially declared Russia’s president for a fifth term. “Putin is our enemy! He says he will destroy Ukraine!” Tetiana tells me passionately and mocks the Russian leader’s triumphant re-election. “He appointed himself!””What did we ever do to him? But look at how many people have been killed here, how many tortured. How many people have lost their arms and legs. And what for?”As Tetiana speaks, her elderly mother sobs uncontrollably beside her. Looking round, I realise almost everyone in the room is crying. Many villagers have abandoned the Sumy border area since last summer as it became more dangerous. Now, it’s almost impossible to stay. Images filmed by police rescue teams show streets of detached houses in utter ruin.Image source, Ukrainian National PoliceImage caption, Ukrainians say entire streets in border villages have been destroyed by Russian bombardmentOne possible reason for the upsurge in attacks is increased Ukrainian shelling of Belgorod, the biggest Russian city across the border. Vladimir Putin has vowed to respond, ignoring the fact that Russian missiles have been hitting homes and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine relentlessly for two years. The mayor of Okhtyrka has another theory for the escalation.”I understand that the enemy wants to create some kind of grey zone where military equipment can’t enter and where people can’t move in large groups,” Pavlo Kuzmenko suggests. We met in the town library because his own offices had been destroyed by a Russian missile strike. “Along the whole of our border, the enemy is gradually creating an area where Ukrainians will not be able to tread,” the mayor believes. There is another reason for the increased bombardment. Just ahead of Vladimir Putin’s return to the Kremlin, a group of Russian fighters announced an armed incursion from Ukraine – into their own country. The self-styled “liberation forces” wanted to show that Mr Putin had lost control of his border. That’s when villagers say the military air strikes on Velyka Pysarivka began.”The explosions didn’t stop for a moment.”Tetiana described life in the village then as “hell”. Image caption, Anti-Putin Russian fighters hold a press conferenceThe Russian forces are made up of men ranging from openly far-right nationalists to Siberian separatists. They’re linked by a belief that only armed resistance can change Russia now and remove Vladimir Putin. The size and military effectiveness of the forces, based in Ukraine and backed by Ukrainian military intelligence, is unclear.In Kyiv on Thursday, a spokesman for one of the groups said their ongoing raids had tied up the “Kremlin military machine”, scuppering plans for a new push into Ukraine.My own sources suggest there could be as much hype as actual fighting.When I questioned whether their self-vaunted achievements merited the destruction of Ukrainian villages, another spokesman said that civilians suffering was “sad”.But he said fighting an enemy like Russia “without victims and ruin” was impossible.It’s not only the fighting that families are fleeing in Sumy.The northern region has the only working border crossing in the country from Russia, making it the main route for Ukrainians escaping occupation.Every day, dozens of people from areas Russia has illegally claimed as its own endure a draining journey to reach territory controlled by Kyiv. The Kremlin says the occupied regions turned out to vote for Putin this month in large, enthusiastic crowds.Image caption, Children in a Ukrainian welcome centre for displaced peopleBut that’s not the picture painted by those who reach Sumy.This week, Zoya Vypyraylo and her husband Mykhailo travelled three days from a village in the southern Kherson region that’s now full of Russian soldiers. “There are so many of them. They set up in the houses. They’re in the fields. Their vehicles are moving all over. It was really scary,” Zoya confided, when she finally reached a reception centre. She says life under occupation changed her, radically: “I had no will. No energy. My spirit was crushed.”So she and Mykhailo gave up everything. They handed their home of 53 years to a neighbour and left their ducks, chickens and dogs. Image caption, Zoya and her husband Mykhailo (centre) have left everything behind in Russian-occupied territory”We want Kherson to be Ukraine. We really do. But we don’t believe it, anymore,” Zoya told me quietly, her whole body sagging from all kinds of exhaustion. To reach Ukraine, the pensioners had to drag their bags across a two-kilometre stretch of no-man’s-land.Pluriton, an aid group, then shuttles people from the border to a facility where it offers phone calls home, train tickets onwards, tea and hot food. All arrivals from occupied territory face a security screening by their own country. “When I look at these people, I remember myself,” Pluriton boss Kateryna Arisoy says. It’s not so long since she left her own home in Bakhmut, a city since razed to the ground.Image caption, After three days travelling from occupied areas, Zoya is finally able to call her son to say she is safe”I can’t find the words to explain that their former life, unfortunately, will never continue.”Zoya Vypyraylo knows that.”When we were driving here I started to cry. I breathed the fresh air, our Ukrainian air,” the pensioner tells me, her voice low but intense.For two years in Kherson she’s been pressured to deny her identity. Take a Russian passport. Even vote for Vladimir Putin, who ordered the invasion of her country. “We are Ukrainians. We want our country to flourish. For our children and grandchildren to live in peace,” Zoya tells me, then starts to cry. “I’m sorry. It’s really hard.”It’s slowly sinking in that she is free. But Ukraine is no closer to peace. Additional reporting by Hanna Chornous. Photos by Joyce LiuRelated TopicsWar in UkraineVladimir PutinUkraineUkrainian refugeesMore on this storyInside Ukraine’s struggle to find new men to fightPublished12 FebruaryPutin takes charge as Carlson gives free rein to KremlinPublished9 FebruaryTop StoriesPrincess of Wales undergoing cancer treatmentPublished38 minutes agoLive. At least 40 dead in Moscow concert hall attack, Russian intelligence service saysPeople take cover as gunmen enter Moscow concert hall. VideoPeople take cover as gunmen enter Moscow concert hallPublished2 hours agoFeaturesGrumpy gran aged 75 is global Fortnite sensationTrump poised for billions as stock market deal passesInside the ice cream van feeding familiesFleeing Ukraine’s embattled border villagesSolar eclipse spectacle set to grip North America againUFC star squares his Muslim faith with a career in the octagonWeekly quiz: How long did this woman take to climb nearly 300 mountains?Apple becomes the latest tech giant under siege’Help my brother first’: Gazan girl’s plea as entire family killedElsewhere on the BBCThe ultimate bromanceWatch the masters of satire Peter Cook and Dudley Moore with a look back through the archivesAttributioniPlayerHow did Emma of Normandy shape early medieval England?Greg Jenner and his guests step back in time to find out…AttributionSoundsAmbition, money and deceptionThe scandalous true story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos, starring Amanda SeyfriedAttributioniPlayerThe last eruptionMount Vesuvius is famous for destroying Pompeii in 79AD but it last erupted in 1944AttributionSoundsMost Read1Princess of Wales undergoing cancer treatment2What we know about Kate’s cancer diagnosis3Chancellor says £100,000 not a huge salary in Surrey4FA defends new England kit over flag design5Lost elderly couple drive around city for 10 hours6Trump poised for billions as stock market deal passes7Stranger Things actor to officiate co-star’s wedding8Eyewitnesses tell of panic as gunmen open fire in Moscow hall9Legal warning over Barclay waste project decision10Life sentence for man who murdered couple with fentanyl [ad_1] Ukrainians are fleeing villages close to Russia amid a rise in cross-border attacks. Continue reading
newsinsightplus.com 1240.Now2023Iceland February 10, 2024 0 Comments BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityScience & EnvironmentIs Iceland entering a new volcanic era?Published2 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingThis video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Watch: Dramatic aerials show fast lava spread after Iceland eruptionBy Rebecca Morelle and Alison Francis BBC News ScienceThis week, Iceland woke up to yet another day of fire, as towering fountains of lava lit up the dark morning sky.This time the evacuated town of Grindavik was spared, but the molten rock still wrought havoc – engulfing a pipe that provides heat and hot water to thousands living in the area and cutting off a road to the Blue Lagoon tourist attraction.It is the third short-lived eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula since December 2023 and the sixth since 2021. But scientists think this is just the start of a period of volcanic activity that could last for decades or even centuries.So what is going on? Image source, ReutersImage caption, A road was swamped with lava in the most recent eruptionIceland is no stranger to volcanoes – it is one of the most volcanically active places in the world.That is because the country is positioned above a geological hotspot, where plumes of hot material deep within the Earth rise towards the surface. But Iceland also sits on the boundary between the Eurasian and North America tectonic plates. These plates are very slowly pulling apart from each other, creating a space for hot molten rock – or magma – to flow up. As the magma builds up underground, the pressure increases until it breaks through the surface in an eruption (at this point the hot rock is called lava). There are more than 100 volcanoes across Iceland and more than 30 are currently active. But the last time the Reykjanes peninsula saw any lava flow was hundreds of years ago – that may have started as early as the 8th or 9th Century and continued until 1240.Now the eruptions have started again – but why has there been an 800-year gap? “Over geological time, the tectonic plates are pulling apart at about the speed that your fingernails grow, so a few centimetres a year,” explains Prof Tamsin Mather, an Earth scientist from the University of Oxford.”But they don’t seem to smoothly pull apart – they go through these pulses of higher activity. And this is likely what we’re seeing right now in the Reykjanes.”The rocks in the region can reveal even more about the past – and they show a pattern of periods of quiet lasting around 1,000 years – followed by eruptions that continue for a few centuries.”There’s evidence for about three of these types of episodes in the last 4,000 years in this area” Prof Mather explains. “So this is proceeding as expected at the moment. And what we’re expecting is a series of these relatively small, relatively short-lived eruptions over the coming years and decades.”Image source, Getty Images/CopernicusImage caption, This satellite image shows the extent of the most recent eruptionWorking out how to predict when the eruptions will happen is a key concern for Iceland right now – especially as the town of Grindavik and a geothermal power plant – a key piece of national infrastructure – are in the danger zone.”Now that the eruptions are repeating themselves, scientists have a much better idea of what is happening,” explains Dr Evgenia Ilyinskaya, a volcanologist from the University of Leeds. “So they’ve been tracking how the ground is inflating as magma is coming out from deep below. And now they actually can tell with a lot more certainty than was possible when to expect the magma to start breaking through the ground.”Image source, ReutersImage caption, In January several houses were destroyed by an eruptionBut pinpointing exactly where an eruption will happen is harder. These aren’t cone-shaped volcanoes like Italy’s Mount Etna, for example, where the lava comes out at more or less the same place.In the Reykjanes Peninsula, the magma is held more loosely under a larger area – and it erupts through cracks – or fissures – that can be miles long.The Icelandic authorities are building large barriers around the town and power station – and these are good at holding lava back. But if a fissure opens up inside the barriers – as was the case in Grindavik in January when some houses were destroyed – not much can be done.A long period of eruptions will have major consequences for Iceland.”This is the most densely populated part of Iceland – so 70% of the population lives within 40km or so,” explains Dr Ilyinskaya.”And all of the key infrastructure is there – so the main international airport, big geothermal power plants, and a lot of tourist infrastructure too, which is a big part of Iceland’s economy.”Key roads being cut off by lava flow and air pollution from the eruptions are just some of the risks.The country’s capital Reykjavik also has the potential to be impacted, says Dr Ilyinskaya.”One scenario that would be hazardous for Reykjavik (Iceland’s capital) is if the eruptions move further east along the peninsula – there are lava flows from 1,000 years ago from the last eruptive cycle that are in what is now Reykjavik, so based on that it is not unfeasible that the lava flows could flow there in future eruptions”So is there a way to predict what will happen in the longer term?Scientists are looking at a number of different volcanic systems that sit across the peninsula.”In the last cycle, the first eruptions started in the systems to the east and migrated to the west, with a few fits and starts here and there,” explains Dr Dave McGarvie from Lancaster University. This time, the first eruptions – which started in 2021 – happened in a system that sits more in the middle of the peninsula.”That system now just seems to have completely switched off – there’s no clear indication of a gathering of magma beneath it. We don’t know whether that’s temporary or whether it’s a permanent thing and it may never erupt again in this cycle.”The most recent eruptions, which began in December, are now in a neighbouring system a little further west.Image source, EPAImage caption, Scientists are learning more with every eruptionDr McGarvie says scientists can get an idea of how much magma is held underground – and whether it is likely to shift away from Grindavik and the power station to another neighbouring volcanic system. “If they saw the rate of magma inflow declining, then that would be an indication that perhaps it’s starting to switch off and if so it may take a few months for it to completely die down.”The question then would be is this a temporary lull or is it actually the end of this phase of activity – we’re into unknown territory at that point.”Scientists are learning more with every eruption, but there’s still a great deal of uncertainty for Iceland as a new volcanic era begins. Follow Rebecca on X (formerly known as Twitter)Related TopicsVolcanoesIcelandMore on this storyThey fled as lava spilled into town – and they may never returnPublished6 days agoIceland lava slowing down after day of destructionPublished15 JanuaryWhy this Iceland volcano won’t cause flight chaosPublished19 December 2023Iceland volcano: What could the impact be?Published14 November 2023Top StoriesClapham attack: Police to search Thames for suspect’s bodyPublished1 hour agoIsraeli soldier videos from Gaza could breach international law, experts sayPublished8 hours agoEx-Fujitsu boss ‘shocked’ by Post Office’s actionsPublished4 hours agoFeaturesDinosaur Island: 40 years of discoveries on SkyeThe Papers: Gaza bloodbath fears and King bonds with FergieIs Iceland entering a new volcanic era?Celebrities and the perils of oversharing daily routinesCash-strapped clubbers make their nights out countHave we lost faith in tech?Swift, swimming and snow: Photos of the weekAn ‘impossible’ country tests its hard-won democracyWeekly quiz: Who beat Miley to win Song Of The Year?Elsewhere on the BBCBritain’s toughest job interview is backLord Sugar’s class of 2024 chase the ultimate investmentAttributioniPlayerThe art of healthy eatingProfessor Tim Spector offers a new approach to the way we eat foodAttributionSoundsThe sound effect that became the ultimate movie in-jokeIt’s used in everything from Toy Story to Reservoir Dogs, but what is the Wilhelm Scream?AttributioniPlayerExpensive vs High Street skincare products…investigating whether more expensive face creams really are worth the moneyAttributionSoundsMost Read1Man’s indefinite sentence a ‘serious injustice’2Ex-Fujitsu boss ‘shocked’ by Post Office’s actions3Tory donors and 27-year-old among new peers4Mum found under coat in A&E died days later5Gaza bloodbath fears and King bonds with Fergie6Police to search Thames for Clapham attack suspect7Celebrities and the perils of oversharing daily routines8Israeli soldier videos from Gaza could breach international law, experts say9Cash-strapped clubbers make their nights out count10Is Iceland entering a new volcanic era? [ad_1] Scientists think eruptions on the Reykjanes Peninsula could continue for decades or even centuries. Continue reading
newsinsightplus.com 1240.Now2023Iceland February 10, 2024 0 Comments BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityScience & EnvironmentIs Iceland entering a new volcanic era?Published2 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingThis video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Watch: Dramatic aerials show fast lava spread after Iceland eruptionBy Rebecca Morelle and Alison Francis BBC News ScienceThis week, Iceland woke up to yet another day of fire, as towering fountains of lava lit up the dark morning sky.This time the evacuated town of Grindavik was spared, but the molten rock still wrought havoc – engulfing a pipe that provides heat and hot water to thousands living in the area and cutting off a road to the Blue Lagoon tourist attraction.It is the third short-lived eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula since December 2023 and the sixth since 2021. But scientists think this is just the start of a period of volcanic activity that could last for decades or even centuries.So what is going on? Image source, ReutersImage caption, A road was swamped with lava in the most recent eruptionIceland is no stranger to volcanoes – it is one of the most volcanically active places in the world.That is because the country is positioned above a geological hotspot, where plumes of hot material deep within the Earth rise towards the surface. But Iceland also sits on the boundary between the Eurasian and North America tectonic plates. These plates are very slowly pulling apart from each other, creating a space for hot molten rock – or magma – to flow up. As the magma builds up underground, the pressure increases until it breaks through the surface in an eruption (at this point the hot rock is called lava). There are more than 100 volcanoes across Iceland and more than 30 are currently active. But the last time the Reykjanes peninsula saw any lava flow was hundreds of years ago – that may have started as early as the 8th or 9th Century and continued until 1240.Now the eruptions have started again – but why has there been an 800-year gap? “Over geological time, the tectonic plates are pulling apart at about the speed that your fingernails grow, so a few centimetres a year,” explains Prof Tamsin Mather, an Earth scientist from the University of Oxford.”But they don’t seem to smoothly pull apart – they go through these pulses of higher activity. And this is likely what we’re seeing right now in the Reykjanes.”The rocks in the region can reveal even more about the past – and they show a pattern of periods of quiet lasting around 1,000 years – followed by eruptions that continue for a few centuries.”There’s evidence for about three of these types of episodes in the last 4,000 years in this area” Prof Mather explains. “So this is proceeding as expected at the moment. And what we’re expecting is a series of these relatively small, relatively short-lived eruptions over the coming years and decades.”Image source, Getty Images/CopernicusImage caption, This satellite image shows the extent of the most recent eruptionWorking out how to predict when the eruptions will happen is a key concern for Iceland right now – especially as the town of Grindavik and a geothermal power plant – a key piece of national infrastructure – are in the danger zone.”Now that the eruptions are repeating themselves, scientists have a much better idea of what is happening,” explains Dr Evgenia Ilyinskaya, a volcanologist from the University of Leeds. “So they’ve been tracking how the ground is inflating as magma is coming out from deep below. And now they actually can tell with a lot more certainty than was possible when to expect the magma to start breaking through the ground.”Image source, ReutersImage caption, In January several houses were destroyed by an eruptionBut pinpointing exactly where an eruption will happen is harder. These aren’t cone-shaped volcanoes like Italy’s Mount Etna, for example, where the lava comes out at more or less the same place.In the Reykjanes Peninsula, the magma is held more loosely under a larger area – and it erupts through cracks – or fissures – that can be miles long.The Icelandic authorities are building large barriers around the town and power station – and these are good at holding lava back. But if a fissure opens up inside the barriers – as was the case in Grindavik in January when some houses were destroyed – not much can be done.A long period of eruptions will have major consequences for Iceland.”This is the most densely populated part of Iceland – so 70% of the population lives within 40km or so,” explains Dr Ilyinskaya.”And all of the key infrastructure is there – so the main international airport, big geothermal power plants, and a lot of tourist infrastructure too, which is a big part of Iceland’s economy.”Key roads being cut off by lava flow and air pollution from the eruptions are just some of the risks.The country’s capital Reykjavik also has the potential to be impacted, says Dr Ilyinskaya.”One scenario that would be hazardous for Reykjavik (Iceland’s capital) is if the eruptions move further east along the peninsula – there are lava flows from 1,000 years ago from the last eruptive cycle that are in what is now Reykjavik, so based on that it is not unfeasible that the lava flows could flow there in future eruptions”So is there a way to predict what will happen in the longer term?Scientists are looking at a number of different volcanic systems that sit across the peninsula.”In the last cycle, the first eruptions started in the systems to the east and migrated to the west, with a few fits and starts here and there,” explains Dr Dave McGarvie from Lancaster University. This time, the first eruptions – which started in 2021 – happened in a system that sits more in the middle of the peninsula.”That system now just seems to have completely switched off – there’s no clear indication of a gathering of magma beneath it. We don’t know whether that’s temporary or whether it’s a permanent thing and it may never erupt again in this cycle.”The most recent eruptions, which began in December, are now in a neighbouring system a little further west.Image source, EPAImage caption, Scientists are learning more with every eruptionDr McGarvie says scientists can get an idea of how much magma is held underground – and whether it is likely to shift away from Grindavik and the power station to another neighbouring volcanic system. “If they saw the rate of magma inflow declining, then that would be an indication that perhaps it’s starting to switch off and if so it may take a few months for it to completely die down.”The question then would be is this a temporary lull or is it actually the end of this phase of activity – we’re into unknown territory at that point.”Scientists are learning more with every eruption, but there’s still a great deal of uncertainty for Iceland as a new volcanic era begins. 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[ad_1] Scientists think eruptions on the Reykjanes Peninsula could continue for decades or even centuries. Continue reading