Kristin Elisabet Gunnarsdottir via Getty Images
A volcano on the Reykjanes peninsula of southwest Iceland erupted on Monday night, spewing lava fountains and sending plumes of red smoke billowing hundreds of feet into the air.
Captured on webcam, the eruption comes after weeks of earthquakes spurred Icelandic authorities to declare a state of emergency and evacuate the nearby town of Grindavík.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office said in a statement that the eruption began around 10 p.m. local time after a “swarm” of small quakes rattled the area an hour before. The eruption “seems to be close to Hagafell,” a peak less than three kilometers north of Grindavík, the office added.