Margaret Hartley, a senior lecturer in Earth sciences, said an eruption will take place when an open fracture attaching the magma dike to the Earth s surface opens.
Iceland believe the major volcanic eruption will occur in the Hagafell region after almost 2000 mini-quakes were recorded in the last 24 hours. They discovered magmatic gas, a signal of an imminent eruption.
As Iceland remained on high alert last night for a major volcanic eruption, experts said it would be unlikely to spark travel chaos. A huge eruption there in 2010 halted flights for almost a week.
The Icelandic fishing town of Grindavik has been evacuated as earthquakes are breaking open streets and "completely damaged" some homes: "There is no one living here. From 3,800 to zero."
The Nordic country is currently bracing itself for what could be a huge eruption of the Fagradalsfjall volcano, which sits on the southern Reykjanes Peninsula.