A meter-deep sinkhole has formed in Grindavík and this indicates that the magma tunnel that has formed under the town has come very close to the surface. It is possible that the magma will reach the surface within the town limits of Grindavík.
This was said by Þorvaldur Þórðarson, a volcanologist, who reviewed the situation in Kvöldfréttir Stöðvar 2 tonight.
He said that the depression in question and its depth are in accordance with the GPS measurements of the Norwegian Meteorological Agency. This depression would be an indication that the magma tunnel under Grindavík had come close to the surface.
"It indicates that it will soon erupt and that, unfortunately, indicates that the eruption will occur within the town limits of Grindavík."
"It's a darker scenario than I had imagined," said Þorvaldur.
The earthquakes of the last few days seem to have followed a two-thousand-year-old series of craters, and this suggests that the magma is exploiting a weakness in the crust. Þorvalður said it was about eight hundred meters north of Grindavík, and therefore he considered it unlikely that an eruption would occur in the town.
Since then, the earthquakes have extended under the town and out to the shallows to the south of the town.
"He has lengthened as much as possible. As I said earlier, everything points to Grindavík getting to see an eruption that is ideally close by," said Þorvaldur.
Þorvalður said that if the lava comes up where the subsidence is, it will most likely flow to the west and then away from the town. Something will go east, but probably not much, based on analytics.
"Then the only question is how much damage there will be to the town and how large a part of it will be covered by lava, if this all comes true," said Þorvaldur.