Volcano erupts in southwestern Iceland, spewing magma in spectacular show

A volcano that had rumbled for weeks erupted in southwestern Iceland, spewing semi-molten rock into the air in a spectacular show of Earth’s power in the land known for fire and ice.
The eruption that started Monday night occurred about 4 kilometers from the town of Grindavik, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said.
The town near Iceland’s main airport was evacuated in November after thousands of earthquakes damaged homes and raised fears of an imminent eruption.
On Tuesday, fountains of orange lava shot into the darkened sky from a fissure in the ground. Iceland, which sits just below the Arctic Circle and above a volcanic hotspot in the North Atlantic, has about 20 hours of darkness a day in December.
Icelandic broadcaster RUV showed a live feed of the eruption on its website, as Christmas carols played in the background.
Iceland averages an eruption every four to five years.