A volcanic fissure has opened up near the town of Grindavík on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula following a significant uptick in earthquake activity. Images show lava breaching the town's defensive barrier, as Icelandic Met Office (IMO) representatives warn the fissure could continue to grow.

An earthquake of magnitude 5.6 struck Iceland on Tuesday, the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) said.

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A subsurface magma release began today near the Icelandic capital, though it has not yet reached the surface to cause a full volcanic eruption, according to the country’s meteorological office, as hundreds of small earthquakes were recorded in the area.