Photos of Iceland volcano eruption show lava fountains, miles-long crack in Earth south of Grindavik

Iceland's volcano continues to spew lava, and eruption could last months

A volcano in southern Iceland, near Grindavik, began erupting in spectacular fashion Monday night following weeks of warning signs, including thousands of earthquakes.

Iceland's Meteorological Office said the eruption opened an approximately 2.5-mile-long fissure and created lava fountains up to 98 feet high.

Last month, the 3,400 residents of the fishing village of Grindavík, the town nearest the volcano on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula, were evacuated in anticipation of the pending eruption.

The meteorological office reported Tuesday that the southernmost point of the erupting volcano was about 1.86 miles from the town, and that the eruption's intensity was weakening. The lava also appeared to be flowing away from Grindavík.

There had been concerns an eruption could last weeks, but on Thursday morning, Iceland's meteorological office said "no volcanic activity was observed" and that it appears "as though there is no activity in the craters."

Here are some of the extraordinary images of the eruption:

The evacuated Icelandic town of Grindavik is seen as smoke billow and lava is thrown into the air from a fissure during a volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula on Dec. 19, 2023. VIKEN KANTARCI/AFP via Getty Images

People view the volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula on Dec. 19, 2023, in Grindavik, Iceland. Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images

A nighttime view of the volcano erupting on the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland on Dec. 20, 2023. Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images

A view of lava after the volcanic eruption northeast of Grindavik, Iceland, on Dec. 19, 2023. ICELAND POLICE DEPARTMENT/Anadolu via Getty Images

Volcanologists from the University of Iceland watch the eruption on Dec. 19, 2023. Getty Images

This image from video provided by the Icelandic Coast Guard shows its helicopter flying near magma running on a hill north of Grindavik on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula late on Dec. 18 or early Dec. 19, 2023. Icelandic coast guard via AP

An aerial view of the eruption south of Grindavik on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula, Dec. 19, 2023. Marco Di Marco / AP

An aerial view of volcanic activity near Grindavik on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula. Dec. 19, 2023. Marco Di Marco / AP

Dec. 18, 2023, north of Grindavik, Iceland. Getty Images

A volcano spews lava and smoke as it erupts near Grindavik, Iceland, Dec. 18, 2023. Snorri Thor/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The volcanic eruption as seen from the village of Hafnarfjordur, Iceland, on Dec. 18, 2023. OSKAR GRIMUR KRISTJANSSON/AFP via Getty Images

A drone picture shows lava spewing from the site of the volcanic eruption north of Grindavik, photographed from Sylingarfell, Iceland, December 19, 2023. Sigurdur Mar Davidsson / REUTERS

Smoke rises as a volcano erupts along Route 41 in the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland December 19, 2023. Sigurdur Mar Davidsson / REUTERS

A drone view of the lava flow from the erupting volcano on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula, with the town of Grindavik and the lights of the famous Blue Lagoon visible in the background, on Dec. 19, 2023. Snorri Thor/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Molten lava erupts from a fissure on the Reykjanes Peninsula in western Iceland on Dec. 19, 2023. KRISTINN MAGNUSSON/AFP via Getty Images

The volcanic eruption turns the sky orange in Grindavik, on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula, Dec. 18, 2023. Marco Di Marco / AP

Map shows location of the volcano erupting in Iceland

Yasin Demirci/Anadolu via Getty Images

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Faris Tanyos

Faris Tanyos is a news editor for CBSNews.com, where he writes and edits stories and tracks breaking news. He previously worked as a digital news producer at several local news stations up and down the West Coast.