Tourists in Iceland undertook tough hikes on Thursday to watch lava fountains emerging from a volcano just a day after it erupted near capital city Reykjavik.
The volcanic eruption took place near the Mount Fagradalsfjall volcano. The site had witnessed an eruption last year too.
Videos showed onlookers carrying backpacks gazing at bubbling lava and snapping photos.
One tourist said it was her "life goal" to see lava. "I had to sit down and had a little cry," she added. "It was so beautiful and emotional. This is the raw power of our planet."
People had initially been asked not to visit the site of the eruption till officials had done a danger assessment, news agency AFP reported. But on Thursday, they said only young children could not go up to spot.
Those in the vicinity of a volcano face the risk of sulphur dioxide inhalation.
Despite that and the tiring hike, over 1,800 people went to see the volcanic eruption on Thursday.
Iceland, known for his stunning and dramatic landscapes, is also one of the most volcanic regions on Earth. The country has 32 active volcanic systems. An eruption takes place every four years on an average.
"Iceland's intense volcanic activity is the country's geological position, where dynamic geological forces are at work between the spreading plate boundary on the Mid-Atlantic Ocean ridge and a powerful mantle plume creating a hot spot on the surface," the country's official tourism website, Visit Iceland, says.
"Together, they produce large amounts of magma, filling the gaps in the crust made by the spreading plates, resulting in frequent eruptions along the rift zone," it adds.
(With inputs from AFP)
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