VIDEO: Scientists take a closer look at ‘the most beautiful’ volcano eruption

ICELAND (ABC) — A long-dormant volcano erupted Friday, sending streams of lava flowing across a small valley in southwestern Iceland.

Halldor Bjrnsson, group leader of weather and climate research at the Iceland Meteorological Office, said the eruption was “minor” and there were no signs of ash or dust that could disrupt air travel.

“So the eruption started last night just before 9 [pm] and has been ongoing, this is a very small eruption. The eruption plume does not reach more than one kilometer. And it’s actually in some ways, this resembles a plume from a fire, a minor fire,” said Bjrnsson.

The area began rumbling about 15 months ago, with tremors increasing dramatically last month.

Icelandic Search and Rescue team member Gudjon Orn Sigtryggsson said, “People were getting a little bit nervous about it because it [earthquakes] has been for two weeks straight.”

Saturday, Iceland’s civil protection agency lowered the threat level of the long-dormant volcano considering the minimal and slow flow of lava. But the natural event has captured the interest of scientists from around the world.

“So it’s quite an interesting eruption. It didn’t really begin with a strong bang but instead, we’ve had this fantastic earthquake swarm with probably 50,000 earthquakes in a month and so the magma had been gradually rising towards the surface and is now producing a relatively small eruption compared to the last one,” said Geologist Christopher Hamilton, a visiting professor from the University of Arizona.

The glow from the lava could be seen from the outskirts of Iceland’s capital, Reykjavk, about 20 miles away.

“Here is the most beautiful thing that I have seen, this volcano,” said Sigtryggsson. “We are just making sure that people are safe and trying to have that people have distance from the lava.”

This volcano has been dormant for 6,000 years, with this being the first eruption southwest Iceland has seen in nearly 800 years.