In the beginning of December 2019 and into March 2021, a swarm of 40,000 tremors and earthquakes rocked the Reykjanes peninsula, two of which reached magnitude of 5.6 in the Richter scale. Geologists understood then that a close eruption was imminent.

On March 19 2021, an effusive eruption started at approximately 8:45 PM local time in Geldingadalir ("gelding valleys"). Reports state a 600 meter long fissure vent began ejecting lava, which covered an area of less than 1 square kilometer. The main crater has begun to form and rise.

The glow from the bubbling hot lava spewing out of the Fagradalsfjall volcano can be seen from the outskirts of Iceland's capital, Reykjavík, which is about 32 kilometers (20 miles) away.