Iceland’s famed Blue Lagoon has temporarily closed after 1,400 earthquakes in just 24 hours rattled the nerves of resort guests. The wellness spa resort is based around a lagoon of geothermal heated seawater which harnesses the power of the nearby Fagradalsfjall volcanic complex.
“Blue Lagoon has proactively chosen to temporarily suspend operations for one week, despite the authorities not raising the current level of uncertainty during this period of seismic activity,” the resort said in a statement.
“This affects all of our operations: Blue Lagoon, Silica Hotel, Retreat Spa, Retreat Hotel, Lava and Moss Restaurant.”
News reports about the seismic activity have shaken prospective guests, including an American family traveling in Iceland that decided to steer clear.
“We were all very aware of the earthquake/volcano situation,” Chase Nunes, who was vacationing in Iceland, told FOX Weather. “We moderately thought about going there (to the lagoon). However, once we heard about the rocks going into the lagoon and some tour operators refusing to go there, that was our cue to avoid that area.”
Magma is pooling in what the IMO called an “inflation event.” Starting October 27, the molten rock began accumulating in a horizontal sill about 3 miles below the surface, forcing the earth up or inflating it.
The office estimated that the magma inflow is 176 cubic feet per second. That is enough to fill up an Olympic-sized pool every eight minutes.
The Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management declared a Civil Protection Service Level of Uncertainty due to the earthquakes. The level of uncertainty means increased monitoring of the situation that could lead to a threat to the health and safety of people, the environment or the settlement.
