Photo shows Northern Lights dancing over erupting volcano in Iceland

A photo shows a volcano in the Icelandic town of Grindavik erupting against the backdrop of the Northern Lights.

The volcano there is continuing to erupt - but to a lesser extent than it did in January and February when it sent lava rushing towards Grindavik.

The Icelandic Met Office says it is possible that the deep magma supply and the lava outflow might have found a balance where it continues to erupt but with reduced power.

Grindavik was first evacuated in November when the Svartsengi volcanic system awakened after almost 800 years with a series of earthquakes that opened large cracks in the ground north of the town.

The volcano eventually erupted on December 18, sending lava flowing away from Grindavik.

A second eruption that began on January 14 sent lava toward the town. Defensive walls that had been bolstered after the first eruption stopped some of the flow, but several buildings were consumed by the lava.

Both eruptions lasted only a matter of days. A third eruption began February 8. It petered out within hours, but not before a river of lava engulfed a pipeline, cutting off heat and hot water to thousands of people.

Iceland, which sits above a volcanic hot spot in the North Atlantic, sees regular eruptions and is highly experienced at dealing with them.

The most disruptive in recent times was the 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, which spewed huge clouds of ash into the atmosphere and led to widespread airspace closures over Europe.

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