GRINDAVÍK, Iceland– AvolcanoonIceland's Reykjanes Peninsula erupted Wednesday morning, prompting the evacuation of one of the country's most popular tourist destinations, the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa near Grindavík. According to theIcelandic Meteorological Office (IMO), the eruption began just before 4 a.m. local time (midnight Eastern Daylight Time) after an intense seismic swarm produced some 300earthquakesin just over two hours. TheBlue Lagoonevacuated all of its guests when the volcano began showing signs of unrest early Wednesday morning, and it posted on its website that it would remain closed until later Wednesday. In its latest update, the IMO said the eruption was no longer confined to a single fissure. The larger fissure was estimated to be about 2.4 kilometers (1.5 miles) long, while a smaller fissure had also opened to the west and was estimated to be about 500 meters (1,640 feet) long. The IMO noted that lava flows from the fissures were not expected to pose a threat to the town of Grindavík or the Blue Lagoon. Iceland's largest internationalairport,Keflavík Airport, located just 16 miles north of Grindavík, announced Wednesday morning that it was not being impacted by the eruption. Officials reported thatPele's hair, strands of volcanic glass that are often produced by lava-fountaining activity, were being carried downwind of the volcano by thewind, producing high levels ofgas pollutionin some areas. Residents are being advised to stay indoors, close windows and turn off air conditioning. According toIcelandic broadcaster RÚV, Wednesday's eruption marked the ninth eruption in these areas and the 12th overall on the Reykjanes Peninsula since the eruptive series began in March 2021. Themost recent eruption occurred on April 1, when Grindavík was evacuated after lava had breached part of the defensive wall north of town. Original article source:Volcano erupts on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula; popular tourist destination Blue Lagoon evacuated