“Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula is now in a new era of volcanic eruptions that will last for up to 500 years, and the building magma beneath Sundhnúkur and Grindavík is part of this millenia-long cycle.”
Given Icelands location on the great circle route between North America and Europe, and the downstream path of the upper atmosphere flow, this mega geological event could potentially permanently (in terms of human civilization) alter living conditions in Europe and western Asia. It could even significantly affect (meaning cause cooling) Northern Hemisphere or even Global climate. Worst case scenario … another major ice age.
Because of the composition of the gasses from this magma source, the global effect on climate is almost certainly going to be cooling.
"The nature of volcanic eruptions varies depending upon the rock type and how the plates are moving. This magma is believed to have originated within the Reykjanes-Svartsengi volcanic system.
One of the most extensive eruptions in Iceland was back in 1783 when there was a flood of lava which lasted for eight months, and produced extensive sulphur clouds which hung over Northern Europe for more than five months and is estimated to have caused cooling of about 1.3C for the following two years."
Note in this article it says:
“That is not the situation that is likely at the moment.”
“The latest evidence that emerged on Sunday and Monday she said suggests the eruption will be much smaller than previously thought.”
However, the cumulative effect of a 500-year eruption era would almost certainly be cooling.
