James Stewart

Then the activity began to migrate, shifting a few kilometres southwest to Svart Sengi, along the Sundsnuknigal crater row.

It was closing in fast.

On the 10th of November 2023, the decision was taken to evacuate the town of Grintovik, home to 3,700 people.

The telltale seismic swarm showed that a major magma intrusion was propagating beneath the town.

Days after the evacuation, fissures opened, destroying homes and damaging infrastructure.

It was described as Iceland's most severe natural disaster in 51 years, and Grindavik remains largely uninhabited today.

For geologists, this was the final confirmation needed that a long, quiet volcanic system had awoken.

The starting pistol for a centuries-long eruptive cycle.

But how do they know this is only the beginning?

By bringing Viking sagas into the satellite age.

This, my friends, has happened before.

When you think of what Icelanders have to deal with on a daily basis, i.e.

actual lava, it makes me realise I've got it pretty easy here in my very boring village in the UK.

And I've got a bit complacent over the years, truth be told.

I mean, there's literally a pub and a pond here.

That's it.

My biggest worry right now is why did I throw my Pokemon cards away in 1998?

And all that nonchalantness has given strangers a free ticket into my house without me realising.

It's kind of crazy when you think about it.

We do everything we can to protect our families physically, don't we?