[BREAKING] Vulkanen IJsland #21: Eruptie op komst bij Reykjanes?

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Op dinsdag 6 januari 2015 21:15 schreef aloa het volgende:
Vanavond in nieuws uur http://nieuwsuur.nl/live/
Morgen ook op de kennis van nu: http://www.npowetenschap.(...)januari-ijsland.html

twitter:

uni_iceland twitterde op maandag 19-01-2015 om 11:16:22 Iceland finally lives up to its name! #Holuhraun easily visible. Lake �ingvallavatn to the left (via IMO) http://t.co/XJ5ZgYBgBQ reageer retweet

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Op donderdag 22 januari 2015 10:24 schreef bwt het volgende:

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volcan01010 twitterde op woensdag 21-01-2015 om 17:39:23 Haraldur Sigur�sson extrapolates #Bardarbunga caldera subsidence data + predicts #Holuhraun eruption end March 2015 http://t.co/87a6Pvkk5a reageer retweet

De eruptie zou dus mogelijk mischien in maart zou kunnen ophouden.

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Op dinsdag 27 januari 2015 16:21 schreef 1boefje het volgende:
Ik ga 26 februari, maar ipv een helicoptervlucht heb ik besloten een dag te paardrijden.
De prijzen met een helicopter vanaf Reykjavik zijn abnormaal om het vanuit de lucht te zien.
Ik heb het in Hawaii al vanuit de lucht gezien, dus zie het niet als meerwaarde.
Hoe dan ook, ik ga weer naar mijn geliefde landje, voor de 3e keer

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Op dinsdag 27 januari 2015 17:59 schreef Leipo666 het volgende:

[..]

aan hoeveel moet je dan denken?

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Op woensdag 25 februari 2015 12:34 schreef LTVDK het volgende:
Mede met dank aan dit topic en de tips van bwt heb ik een special geschreven over deze pracht der natuur: B�rdarbunga

_{(jaja, ik kom het hier even spammen )}

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Op woensdag 25 februari 2015 15:20 schreef Frutsel het volgende:

[..]

haha, mooi stuk

spam ook eens andersom

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Op woensdag 25 februari 2015 12:34 schreef LTVDK het volgende:
Mede met dank aan dit topic en de tips van bwt heb ik een special geschreven over deze pracht der natuur: B�rdarbunga

_{(jaja, ik kom het hier even spammen )}

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Op zondag 1 maart 2015 00:28 schreef Frutsel het volgende:
Heeft fok net zijn special klaar kapt dat ding dr mee

Prutsvulkaan

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Op zondag 1 maart 2015 18:08 schreef bwt het volgende:
Nu dat ding dicht zit kan er weer wat druk worden opgebouwd..............

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Maar voorlopig lijkt B�rdarbunga zich een beetje te kalmeren. Al kan het natuurlijk ook zijn dat hij druk aan het opbouwen is...

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Volcanologist: B�r�arbunga Caldera Starts Rising Again

Volcanologist Haraldur Sigur�sson, who predicted the end of the Holuhraun eruption with remarkable accuracy, wrote on his blog yesterday that there are indications that the caldera of B�r�arbunga volcano, which fed the Holuhraun eruption, has begun rising again.

The rising of the caldera could mean that magma is accumulating in the magma chamber, building pressure, which might eventually lead to another eruption.

“When the subsidence [of the caldera] stopped, the curve of the position of the GPS sensor in B�r�arbunga had become horizontal. In the accompanying graph from the Icelandic Met Office’s website a blue curve shows none or insignificant horizontal movement on the surface of B�r�arbunga from February 7 to March 7,” Haraldur writes.

“I added a red line for comparison [see Haraldur’s blog]. It clearly shows that in the past days, the GPS sensor has started rising again. It can be caused by two things: (A) The ice below the sensor is flowing into the depression … (B) The caldera has started rising again because magma from the mantle is flowing into the magma chamber below B�r�arbunga.”

“I’m inclined to believe the latter explanation, but time will tell. If (B) is correct, it is likely that the flow of magma from the depths into the magma chamber will take many years before it reaches the position which B�r�arbunga had before the eruption which began in 2014,” Haraldur concluded.

Other scientists have predicted that B�r�arbunga will erupt again in the near future and that the eruption in Holuhraun was the first in a series.

The eruption carried on while the caldera subsided and magma flowed out of the magma chamber and into the intrusive dike connecting B�r�arbunga, which lies under Vatnaj�kull glacier, with Holuhraun north of the glacier.

Using data from a GPS sensor in the caldera, Haraldur and his grandson Gabr�el S�lvi calculated the rate of the subsidence and when it would stop, which would mean that magma had stopped flowing into the intrusive dike and hence that the eruption had ended.

They had predicted that this would happen on March 4, while the eruption ended on February 27—they were off by five days.

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What is going to happen next in Bardarbunga?
It has been few days since the eruption in Holuhraun has ended and everything is quiet for the moment in B�r�arbunga volcano. What is going to happen next is a big question and nobody has the exact answer. Here are few options.

1.Nothing is going to happen. The rift is going to continue without more eruptions.
2.New magma intrusion is going to start soon in B�r�arbunga volcano. New eruption is going to start days to weeks later.

3.There is also high risk in my view of eruptions in Hamarinn volcano (also called Loki-F�grufj�ll). That volcano system is inside B�r�arbunga volcano and dyke intrusion from B�r�arbunga to the south might start a volcano eruption in it. I don’t know how big such eruption would be, it is my estimate. Dyke to Torfaj�kull volcano is unlikely to happen. I however cannot rule it out at this point.

What is going happen in B�r�arbunga volcano depends on many factors and not all of them are known. What is known is that heat has been increasing in shallower parts of the crust and caldera for the past six months and those signs are not good. What is not known is the time in question. Next eruption could happen tomorrow or nothing can happen for years. There is no way to know when next eruption is going to happen.

Currently I am just monitoring B�r�arbunga volcano and waiting to see what happens next. The text above is just speculation, not fact. It is not clear what is going to happen next. The only way to know that for sure is to wait until next eruption starts and that might be a long wait.

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Op woensdag 1 juli 2015 21:56 schreef GekkePoes het volgende:
Ik dacht echt dat het daar weer wat rustiger was geworden.

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A series of tremors hit the Tungnafellsj�kull glacier in the Icelandic highlands this morning.

A total of eleven tremors over magnitude 2 were felt in the area this morning, with the strongest – a magnitude 2.9 – coming around 11am.

According to Hildur Mar�a Fri�riksd�ttir from the Icelandic Met Office, tremor waves of this kind are common in the area and are no cause for concern.

Tungnafellsj�kull is a relatively small (10 x 5km) glacier to the north-west of the mighty Vatnaj�kull glacier in South Iceland.

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B�r�arbunga Volcano Might Erupt Again

Geologists are now investigating data, indicating that magma might be accumulating again under B�r�arbunga volcano in Vatnaj�kull glacier. The Holuhraun eruption, which took place between August 31, 2014, and February 27, 2015, was part of a series of events which started in the volcano in 1974 and might provide evidence about the behavior of the volcano in the future.

According to P�ll Einarsson, professor of geophysics at the University of Iceland, the next few months will determine whether magma is in fact accumulating. “That’s the big question,” he told R�V. “There are some indications that this might be the case, but we have to investigate it further.”

The signals, gathered by new equipment on location, are not clear and come from a great depth. Geologists are still learning how to interpret such data.

The Holuhraun eruption is now seen as a chapter in a story that began in 1974. That year, a series of large earthquakes began, which hit at regular intervals in B�r�arbunga. The first chapter ended 22 years later with the eruption and glacial flood in Gj�lp in 1996.

After the Gj�lp eruption, the volcano was silent for many years, but a few years ago, a new series of earthquakes began, culminating in the Holuhraun eruption in the northeastern highlands in August 2014. The magma came from B�r�arbunga and the caldera sank by 60 meters (197 feet) in the course of the eruption.

P�ll believes it’s possible that the next eruption might occur in B�r�arbunga itself. “B�r�arbunga is probably the most powerful volcano in Iceland … B�r�arbunga is the center of a volcanic system which often erupts at the periphery, but still more frequently in the volcano itself.”

It is difficult to predict when the next eruption might start and whether previous eruptions can be used as evidence as to what might happen next. P�ll concludes: “We have 30 volcanic systems in Iceland and each one of them has its own personality. To predict what is likely to happen in the near future we have to get to know them a bit personally.”

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Katla hit by series of tremors
A 3.3 magnitude tremor hit the south-east of Katla, one of Iceland’s most active volcanoes, in the early hours of this morning.

The main tremor was followed by around ten aftershocks, some of which were shallow and possibly connected to geothermal activity, the Icelandic Met Office reports.

No significant changes to nearby rivers have been reported, but the relevant data will be studied more closely.

“Katla sees this type of seismic cycle from time to time – on average 1-3 times a year,” says the Met Office. “We are monitoring the area closely and will keep everybody informed of any changes. At the moment, things appear to have quietened down.”

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Earthquake activity in B�r�arbunga and Gr�msfjall volcanoes

Yesterday (17-March-2016) an earthquake swarm took place in B�r�arbunga volcano. This is a weekly cycle at the moment in B�r�arbunga volcano so older readers are used to seeing and read about it already. This started in September 2015 (for the new readers) after the eruption in Holuhraun ended in February 2015. This activity suggest that magma has started to flow into the magma chamber in B�r�arbunga volcano again at faster speeds than before the eruption in Holuhraun. The exact rate is difficult to know, since the magma that started the eruption in Holhraun had been building up in B�r�arbunga volcano since 1970-ish and part of that time earthquake recording was poor or did not exist in Iceland or parts of it until 1995 when the SIL network was created by Ve�urstofa �slands.

The largest earthquake this week had the magnitude of 3,4 while other earthquakes that took place had smaller magnitude. The second largest earthquake had the magnitude of 2,8. Other earthquakes where smaller in magnitude. It is also interesting that part of the earthquake swarm aligned it self along north-south fault in the eastern part of the caldera. That is a new feature, either a weakness is forming at this location or something else is up. This area has around 300 – 500 meter thick glacier on top of it and an eruption at this location would be extremely bad. The glacier flood from eruption at this location would mostly go down J�kuls� � fj�llum glacier river. Other flood locations can’t be ruled out (I’m not an expert on glacier floods and I do have limited knowledge of the landscape under the glacier).

Gr�msfjall volcano

It has been five years since Gr�msfjall volcano erupted in a largest eruption in 140 years for Gr�msfjall volcano. Over the past few weeks there has been a slight increase in earthquake in Gr�msfjall volcano. At the moment this doesn’t mean an eruption is imminent, the thing however about eruptions in Gr�msfjall volcano is that they happen suddenly and without warning. Normally eruption happens in Gr�msfjall volcano every 3 – 5 years on average, sometimes its shorter and sometimes its longer between eruptions.

Notice on B��varsh�lar geophone station

For the longest time now I’ve been having 3G connection issues with B��varsh�lar geophone station. The problems include poor signal, little bandwidth. The poor signal leaks into my recording of earthquakes, making them bad and extremely noisy and that makes them less usable for me. I am going to attempt to improve this situation but if that fails I will have to turn the station down. Since the cost of getting a good antenna for this location is too high and the solution takes too long to implement anyway. I will post a notice if I take down the B��varsh�lar geophone station. If it happens, it is going to happen before I move to Denmark.

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Op zaterdag 19 maart 2016 14:56 schreef DemonRage het volgende:
Gaan we weer zo'n periode krijgen dat we met z'n allen met spanning de IJslandse vulkanen in de gaten gaan houden?

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Earthquake Hits Major Volcano Site

There was a major earthquake on the northern edge of the B�r�arbunga volcanic craters at around midnight last night.

The quake measured 4.2 on the Richter scale and is therefore the largest quake to have hit the famous volcano since it stopped erupting in February last year.

According to Bjarki Fries, a naural disasters specialist with the Icelandic met office, the earthquake emanated from 3.5 kilometers underground. Around 15 aftershocks have already been measured, the most powerful of which was a 3.5 quake at 01.00 this morning.

Met office earthquakes specialist Martin Hensch told R�V that there is no evidence of lava movements or of any eruption activity connected to the earthquakes, but that the situation will be monitored carefully. There were two quakes in the same location on April 3, measuring 3.4 and 3 on the Richter scale.

The recent eruption at B�r�arbunga, often known as Holuhraun, lasted from late August 2014 to late February 2015, and despite not affecting aviation or physically threatening any human settlements, it caused dangerous levels of pollution around Iceland and produced more new lava than almost any other eruption in Iceland since the Vikings first arrived.

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Op dinsdag 21 juni 2016 22:06 schreef aloa het volgende:
Hekla staat op uitbarsten...

http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/(...)zen-grote-ramp.dhtml

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Is Hekla really going to blow?
The volcanoes of Iceland are some of the most closely watched on the planet. Not only is there an extensive seismic array that records all the earthquakes that occur on the island nation, but many volcanoes have both GPS monitoring of their shape and borehole strain gauges that measure stresses underground caused by these changes in shape. There have been examples in Iceland where sudden and strong changes in strain in these boreholes came right before an eruption, including the 2000 eruption of Hekla. Volcanologists in Iceland are watching for any signs that an eruption might be in the works so that appropriate measures to protect lives and property can be enacted.

That’s why it is a little peculiar that Dr. P�ll Einarsson of the University of Iceland warned people and airplanes to “stay away” from Iceland’s Hekla based on his interpretation of accumulated strain at the volcano. According to reports coming out of Iceland, Dr. Einarsson says that strain measured on these strain gauges is higher than it was prior to the 2000 eruption. Also, it has been 16 years since Hekla’s last eruption and, at least for a brief period from 1970-2000 (mind you, this is a very short time for the lifespan of any volcano), it was erupting about every 10 years. Put those together and he thinks that Hekla is ready for its next eruption, and it could happen soon.

However, I am a little perplexed by this statement from Dr. Einarsson and I wish I knew more about the context in which the quotes were given. Without confirmation from the Icelandic Met Office (the volcano monitoring agency), I don’t really know how to assess the validity of what Dr. Einarsson is saying.

Volcanoes care not for your puny human schedules, so you might expect an eruption soon ... or might not.

Does this mean that doom is coming? Not necessarily. As I said, although Hekla did have a pattern of eruptions every ten years after 1970, prior to that the volcano had no eruption from 1947 to 1970, over 22 years. In fact, if you go back to the 1597 AD eruption (again, be wary of any arbitrary starting point for statistics), Hekla has had eight eruptions separated by anywhere from 32 to 79 years (and if I wanted to choose the most common repose interval, it is ~35 years). That being said, volcanoes care not for your puny human schedules, so you might expect an eruption soon … or might not.

Scientists also don’t have strain data going back further than the 2000 eruption of Hekla, so they don’t have a good baseline for understanding exactly how the strain changes before every eruption—just what happened prior to the 2000 event. That’s not to say that they shouldn’t expect something similar, but the data is somewhat scant.

You can actually see the near real-time strain data coming from around Hekla. Now, I am no expert on these readings, but if you compare them to the readings before the 2000 eruption, there doesn’t seem to be much sign of an eruption coming in the near future (that is, next few hours to days). The five gauges are all roughly the same and prior to the 2000 eruption, they all diverged as the new magma intruded the volcano. You can also check out the earthquakes recorded near Hekla and nothing suspicious appears to be happening either.

For an Icelandic volcano, Hekla has a surprisingly explosive history of eruptions. These explosive eruptions have produced ash plumes that reached over 15 kilometers (~50,000 feet). They are also eruptions that tend to be rich in fluorine, which is especially hazardous to grazing animals as they eat fluorine-contaminated ground cover that leads to fluorinosis (and many times, death). You can imagine the travel ramifications of a large explosive eruption from Hekla—we saw that during the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallaj�kull. Hekla has produced some large fissure eruptions as well, with abundant basaltic lava flows, much like what we saw from the Holuhraun eruption in 2014-15.

Now, I’m not saying that Dr. Einarsson is wrong to be point out what he thinks the threat of Hekla right now might be, but without official world from the IMO or emergency management agencies in Iceland, I worry that these statements could be jumping the gun (if Dr. Einarsson was quoted correctly). One of the biggest challenges for volcano monitoring and mitigation is getting people to believe the threat when it presents itself. Too many false alarms, even if they aren’t coming from the official monitoring and management agencies, can make people feel like they can’t trust officials (see: L’Aquila earthquake in Italy). I hope that the IMO releases a statement soon in response to what Dr. Einarsson said so we can know what might be happening at Hekla. Until then, you can watch Hekla on its webcam.

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Op zaterdag 19 maart 2016 14:56 schreef DemonRage het volgende:
Gaan we weer zo'n periode krijgen dat we met z'n allen met spanning de IJslandse vulkanen in de gaten gaan houden?

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Op maandag 11 juli 2016 23:41 schreef thesiren.nl het volgende:
Ha vandaag bij groeten van Max hadden ze ook een verhaal over de Hekla die op uitbarsten stond. Ze vertellen graag horrorverhalen over vakanties dus nu ook weer, binnen onafzienbare tijd staat het hele vliegverkeer stil. Allemaal omdat 1 professor zegt dat er nu twee maal zoveel druk staat als bij de laatste uitbarsting. Toen namen ze contact op met een Hollandse Fysisch-(geograaf/geoloog) die daar ook reisleider is, die zei dat de professor dat ieder jaar rond deze tijd vertelt! Hij voegde er gelijk aan toe dat het niet zo heftig zal zijn als met de ejafjellajokul, dat was wel een domper voor die presentator.
http://www.omroepmax.nl/g(...)aandag-11-juli-2016/
Vanaf 22:30 Leuk om te zien

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Monitoring of Hekla improved

Monitoring of Mt. Hekla has been improved over the past months, Hekla is one of the most active and potentially dangerous volcanoes in Iceland. According to the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) who is in charge of monitoring Mt. Hekla the system should help in sending out timely warnings with the aim of reducing any harm the volcano might cause.

There are several different types of active volcanoes in Iceland and the hazards associated with each volcano are related to the type, location and intensity of an eruption. According to the IMO public vulnerability to volcanic hazards increases as the number of people exposed to the hazard grows.


Mt. Hekla has been getting ready to erupt now for some years and is according to its normal eruption cycle ready to go, the mountain is a stratovolcano in the south of Iceland with a height of 1,491 m (4,892 ft). Over 20 eruptions have occurred in and around the volcano since 874.with the last one happening in the year 2000.

Travelers are warned not to walk the mountain.

According to the IMO, volcanic risk is mitigated by the capability to detect, interpret, and communicate volcanic signals before and during a volcanic eruption.

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Scientists Follow Katla Volcano Closely

The water level of glacial river M�lakv�sl has risen in line with increased seismic activity in volcano Katla, which lies under M�rdalsj�kull icecap in South Iceland. Scientists are monitoring developments in the volcano closely.

Geophysicist P�ll Einarsson finds it likely that melt water from cauldrons in Katla has flowed into M�lakv�sl from underneath the glacier. His theory is supported by increased conductivity in the river, mbl.is reports.

At the current stage, the glacial outburst flood is insignificant compared to the massive flood which occurred in M�lakv�sl in 2011 and destroyed a bridge on the Ring Road. There are currently no indications of an upcoming volcanic eruption.

Katla last erupted in 1918, causing flooding and ash fall.

twitter:

Iceland_Review twitterde op dinsdag 26-07-2016 om 14:32:15 Increased seismic activity in #Katla #volcano continues. #Iceland https://t.co/HPvM1WBwoT reageer retweet

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Op woensdag 27 juli 2016 13:15 schreef aloa het volgende:
En momenteel gewoon weer rustig bij de Katla.

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Op dinsdag 26 juli 2016 13:45 schreef Frutsel het volgende:

[..]

[ afbeelding ]

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Op vrijdag 29 juli 2016 23:46 schreef aloa het volgende:

[..]

We wachten het af. kan idd alle kanten op.

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Remarks of a specialist
According to local reports, the level of the Bl�fjallakv�sl glacial river is unusually high. Bl�fjallakv�sl originates from the northern side of M�rdalsj�kull and hikers are advised to show caution if crossing the river.

Water-level and electrical conductivity measurements at the bridge over M�lakv�sl show increased drainage of geothermal meltwater from M�rdalsj�kull. Sulfur smell has been reported from the area related to this drainage.
Written by a specialist at 29 Jul 18:08 GMT

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Op zaterdag 30 juli 2016 00:08 schreef aloa het volgende:

[..]

Het gaat ook nooit rustig worden op IJsland.

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Yesterday, August 3rd, there was a seismic swarm in B�r�arbunga. At 16:15, a magnitude 3,9 earthquake, the largest of the swarm, was detected in the northern rim of the volcano's caldera. This swarm is not thought to be out of the ordinary when compared to the activity in B�r�arbunga over the past few months, but nonetheless, the volcano is being thoroughly monitored around the clock.
Written by a specialist at 04 Aug 01:58 GMT

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Iceland raised alarm after biggest tremor since 1977 hits largest volcano
Iceland raised the alarm after its largest volcano was hit by the biggest tremors since 1977.
Two quakes larger than 4 in magnitude early Monday rocked the crater of Katla, the country’s Met Office said in a statement. That was followed by at least 10 more tremors at the volcano, which rises 1,450 meters (4,757 feet) into the air on the North Atlantic island’s southern coast.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damages to property.

Katla last erupted in 1955 and 1999. Neither of those were large enough to break the ice covering its 10 kilometer-wide (6 mile) caldera. Its last major eruption was back in 1918, when it spewed ash for more than five weeks.

An eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in 2010 caused the cancellation of more than 100,000 flights across Europe on concern that glass-like particles formed from lava might melt in aircraft engines and clog turbines. Historically, Eyjafjallajokull has been known to erupt one to two years prior to Katla.

twitter:

jonfr500 twitterde op maandag 29-08-2016 om 21:46:15 Increased conductivity reported in M�lakv�sl glacier river from M�rdalsj�kull glacier, with increased water levels. This is report from IMO. reageer retweet

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This is not going to be a too long update about the activity in Katla volcano. Since I fear that this article might become outdated rather quickly.

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IJsland vreest voor uitbarsting vulkaan Katla

IJsland maakt zich op voor een mogelijke uitbarsting van de vulkaan Katla, een van de grootste vulkanen van het land. Het gebied is vanmorgen geraakt door twee krachtige aardbevingen, wat mogelijk een uitbarsting kan veroorzaken.

Het gebied werd vanmorgen vroeg getroffen door aardbevingen van respectievelijke 4.5 en 4.6 op de schaal van Richter. Gevreesd wordt dat de trillingen een uitbarsting kunnen bespoedigen. ,,Het is een behoorlijk dynamische situatie op dit moment, en dat zal de komende uren en dagen zo blijven", aldus wetenschapper Matthew Roberts van het meteorologisch instituut van IJsland. ,,Maar op dit moment zien nog we geen direct gevaar."

IJskap
De 1450 meter hoge vulkaan is voor het laatst in 1918 uitgebarsten. Volgens wetenschappers zou er binnenkort sowieso weer een uitbarsting kunnen zijn, hoewel het ook nog decenia kan duren.

De vulkaan is bedekt met ijs dat de hete lava bij een uitbarsting ruim een uur zou moeten kunnen tegenhouden. Daardoor is er genoeg tijd om het gebied te evacueren en het vliegverkeer in te seinen, licht Roberts toe.

Aswolk
De as afkomstig van de uitbarsting van de dichtbijgelegen vulkaan Eyjafjallaj�kull legde in 2010 het Europese vliegverkeer nog plat voor zes dagen.

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Cluster of Big Earthquakes Rattles Iceland’s Katla Volcano

LAST NIGHT, A brief earthquake swarm rattled the caldera at Katla in southern Iceland. The largest earthquakes were over M4, ranging from a few kilometers deep to near the surface (although the depth locating is likely problematic for many of the smaller earthquakes). These M4+ earthquakes (see below) are the largest temblors to occur to Katla since 1977 (note: those earthquakes did not lead to any eruption). However, although a few of the earthquakes were fairly large, the swarm seems to have petered out quickly as seismicity returned to background levels by Icelandic morning.

The Icelandic Meteorological Office is reporting no tremor recorded currently at Katla, which suggests that at least for the moment, no magma is making its way to the surface. Icelandic officials have not changed the alert status for Katla from normal at this point.

UPDATE 8/29 at 8 PM EDT: The IMO has now reported that flow in the M�lakv�sl River, which flows out from under M�rdalsj�kull, has increased and has high concentrations of sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. Both of these are common gases related to hydrothermal fluids (heated from magmatic sources). This is a common occurrence when earthquake swarms have disturbed the Katla caldera and is not likely directly linked to any change in eruption likelihood.

The earthquake swarm that occurred on the night of August 29 at Katla in Iceland. The green stars are earthquakes over M4.
The earthquake swarm that occurred on the night of August 29 at Katla in Iceland. The green stars are earthquakes over M4.ICELANDIC MET OFFICE
Two big hazards exist at Katla right now. One is obviously that the volcano might have its first eruption since 1918. That lack of harmonic tremor means that the likelihood of an imminent eruption is low. The other hazard might be a j�kulhlaup, or glacial outburst flood. Melting from the summer within the Myrdalsj�kull icecap and that meltwater can accumulate until it spills over as a flood of water, ice, and debris. These have occurred often and do not need to be associated with any volcanic activity.

Katla has experienced numerous earthquake swarms in the 98 years since its last eruption, most recently in 2011. So this new one, even with its larger earthquakes, is no reason for immediate alarm. Katla does have a history of large, explosive eruptions, which means it makes people nervous. Keeping an eye on any restlessness at the behemoth is vital for both the people of Iceland and for air travel across the North Atlantic.

twitter:

banndit78 twitterde op woensdag 31-08-2016 om 09:57:40 #Katla Perhaps more significant than recent quakes, rivers to the south showing increase in levels of sulphur dioxide, hydogen sulfide reageer retweet

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Op woensdag 31 augustus 2016 10:06 schreef Frutsel het volgende:

twitter:

banndit78 twitterde op woensdag 31-08-2016 om 09:57:40 #Katla Perhaps more significant than recent quakes, rivers to the south showing increase in levels of sulphur dioxide, hydogen sulfide reageer retweet

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Misleading information on Katla
The Iceland Met Office has issued a statement to counteract what they feel are misleading reports on volcanic activity in Katla. Numerous tourists have called the office to ask whether it's safe to fly to Iceland. Many have also called to find out whether their families are safe in Iceland.

As an example, the Crawley News wrote today that a Katla eruption could disrupt flights to and from Gatwick, London citing the effect that the Eyjafjallaj�kull eruption had in 2010.

The Iceland Met Office has therefore seen reason to issue a summary about the recent increase in earthquake activity in Katla.

"We are aware of inaccurate news in recent days about seismic unrest at Katla volcano, Iceland. To avoid any confusion, we would like to reiterate the current status of Katla."

"Media interest in Iceland's volcanoes has remained high since the Eyjafjallaj�kull eruption of 2010, hence the summary is intended as an official monitoring statement, in case of diverging media reports."

"Since mid-June, earthquake activity within the caldera of the ice-covered Katla volcano has increased above background levels. More than 100 shallow-seated earthquakes have been detected in Katla caldera since 1 June 2016, which is almost four times the monthly average compared to previous years. Earthquakes occurred mainly in bursts ranging from minutes to hours, often with 20 events or more. The two largest earthquakes since the unrest began occurred on 26 July at 03:42 and 03:50 UTC, respectively, both with a magnitude of Mw3.2.

Such summertime increases in seismicity are common at Katla and the ongoing activity within the caldera is similar to summertime unrest observed in 2012 and 2014. Often this increased seismicity occurred in association with drainage of meltwater from several known ice-cauldrons, formed due to hydrothermal activity, as observed almost annually. Since late June 2016 there have been three small floods in M�lakv�sl river, an outlet from M�rdalsj�kull, in addition to a flood from the Entuj�kull glacier. Presently, water-level and electrical conductivity measurements at the bridge over M�lakv�sl show increased drainage of geothermal meltwater from M�rdalsj�kull - the ice-cap overlying Katla. We have received several reports throughout the summer of a hydrogen sulphide stench from glacial rivers around Myrdalsj�kull.

Around Katla we are not detecting signs of increased ground deformation or bursts of seismic tremor, which are both signals that might indicate movement of magma. We continue to monitor Katla closely and will issue updates on IMO‘s web-site if the situation intensifies. Our assessment is that the volcano is in a period of summertime unrest and it does not show signs of impending eruption, although we cannot rule-out a sudden escalation in seismicity in connection with a hazardous flood."

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Katla teases us once again

Tremors were recorded just south of the volcano Katla yesterday, but it remains decidedly unclear if an eruption is imminent.

V�sir reports that the tremor measured 3.9 on the Richter scale, making it not an insignificant quake, but also not a definitive sign that Katla will erupt.

“There have been some unusually large tremors, and quite a few of them have been over 3 [on the Richter scale],” geologist Magn�s Tumi Gu�mundsson told reporters. “What that means is another story. They are rather shallow tremors, and you would look for more signs of activity, such as expansion and increasing geological heat. If we saw all these things together, than that would be an obvious sign that the volcano is heating up.”

As reported, Katla has been “overdue” for an eruption for some time now. “On average the time between eruptions is 50 years but now the volcano hasn‘t erupted in 98 years,” earthquake hazards coordinator at the Icelandic Met Office Krist�n J�nsd�ttir told R�V. “There will be an eruption, it‘s only a question of when.”

However, the current seismic activity around Katla does not indicate an eruption is imminent, professor of geology P�ll Einarsson told R�V.

“Katla is a powerful volcano and we should never forget that,” he said. “However, there is nothing in this recent series of events that indicates especially that volcanic activity or an eruption is imminent. People ask, when will Katla erupt? My response is it erupted in 2011. We just didn’t notice it.”

Here, P�ll refers to the glacial flooding which came from four ice cauldrons in the southeastern part of the Katla volcano that year, resulting in no loss of life but the destruction of a bridge over M�lakv�sl.

As such, while technically speaking it is only a matter of time before Katla erupts, the latest recorded activity in the region does not indicate an eruption is imminent at this time. The Grapevine will keep readers updated on any new developments as they arise.

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Op woensdag 21 december 2016 07:00 schreef Basp1 het volgende:
Misschien in 2020 een grote uitbarsting bij Napels.

http://www.volkskrant.nl/(...)0-ontwaken~a4437473/

quote:

Op woensdag 21 december 2016 07:00 schreef Basp1 het volgende:
Misschien in 2020 een grote uitbarsting bij Napels.

http://www.volkskrant.nl/(...)0-ontwaken~a4437473/

quote:

Op woensdag 21 december 2016 07:46 schreef Leipo666 het volgende:

[..]

nooit geweten dat Napels in IJsland lag

quote:

Op woensdag 21 december 2016 09:31 schreef Basp1 het volgende:

[..]

Sorry ik dacht even dat dit het centrale vulkanen topic was.

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Earthquake in Iceland's Katla volcano
An earthquake of magnitude 3,5 took place in the Katla volcano in South Iceland at 7:09 this morning. The earthquake originated in the west side of the volcano’s caldera, underneath the M�rdalsj�kull glacier. Katla is one of Iceland’s largest and active volcanoes with over twenty eruptions documented since the year 930.

From June to September of last year, the volcano was hit with a series of seismic tremors and high level of unrest. For a few days at the end of September and early October, Katla was raised to “yellow alert” by the Icelandic Met Office, roads near the volcano were closed due to eruption warning, and the volcano was under 24 hour watch by the Met Office.

On September 30th over 200 earthquakes were detected in Katla over a period of 24 hours, the greatest frequency of earthquakes in the volcano since 2011.

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Strong 4.2 quake in Katla caldera
Icelandic Met Office has detected a strong and shallow M4.2 earthquake in the center of Katla caldera on January 26, 2017. The quake was followed by M3.0 and a series of smaller earthquakes. In total, 28 earthquakes were registered under Katla since late Wednesday, January 25.

The quakes follow a wave of increased activity in the past couple of weeks. On Monday and Tuesday, January 23 and 24, the volcano registered several large earthquakes, following a wave of activity at the beginning of January, IcelandMag reported.

On Monday, January 23, IMO registered two M3+ earthquakes (M3.0 and M3.3) in the eastern part of the caldera, followed by a large swarm of smaller quakes. This activity was followed by a M3.1 earthquake on January 24.

According to the IMO, the volcano is under close supervision and there are no signs of increased volcanic activity.

On September 29, 2016, an intense seismic swarm started under the volcano and intensified on September 30 with several M3+ earthquakes. The Aviation Color Code was raised to Yellow, the second highest level on a four-color scale. On October 3, IMO stated that the seismic swarm was the largest one in decades, though it appeared to be over.

20 eruptions have been documented at Katla between 930 and 1918, at intervals of 13 to 95 years. Since the last eruption took place in 1918, Katla is long overdue for an eruption.

This volcano is known for strong eruptions, with Volcanic Explosivity Index mostly between 4 and 6 (on a scale of 0 to 8).

Its eruption could pose a threat to civilians due to glacial flooding and significant ash generation.

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Four Of Iceland's Volcanoes Are Priming To Erupt

As we all know, Iceland is a profoundly volcanic place with a variety of eruption styles – from spewing out a little or a lot of lava, to exploding so violently that Europe gets blanketed in ash.

Well, as reported by the Iceland Monitor, the nation’s soothsaying geophysicist P�ll Einarsson claims that four of the country’s angry mountains are exhibiting pre-eruptive conditions. Apart from that, however, little information has been given.

The volcanoes in question are Katla, Hekla, B�r�arbunga, and Gr�msv�tn. With no data or references given in the post, we decided to do a little digging ourselves.

So what of Katla? Well, it’s a rather sizable volcano that has indeed been showing signs of restlessness recently, with tremors hitting around the 4.6M mark. These quakes are possibly indications of magma ascending upwards through the crust and causing it to violently fracture, but as of yet, there’s no definitive proof of this.

Katla occasionally lets off some steam through minor lava flows, but there hasn’t been a major eruption for several decades. Its average recurrence rate for something significant and potentially dangerous is once every 50 years. The last notable event back in 2011 produced some impressive streams of lava, but it was not enough to smash through the M�rdalsj�kull glacier capping it at the surface.

When it inevitably does, a massive ash plume – akin to the one produced by the Eyjafjallaj�kull in 2010 – will be generated, and North Europe’s airspace will be immediately shut down. According to a recent study, however, such an epic plume only appears once every 44 years, so we’ve probably got some time before that happens again.

It’s worth noting, however, that the 2011 event produced a “j�kulhlaup”, a flash flood caused by part of the glacier melting. It was powerful enough to sweep away a major bridge – although luckily without any accompanying deaths.

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Earthquake swarm under Bardarbunga volcano, Iceland

​An earthquake swarm started under Bardarbunga volcano, Iceland during the early morning hours of Wednesday, March 1, 2017. The swarm started at 08:57 with M4.1 (the strongest) and ended at 10:24 UTC. There were no additional earthquakes registered over the next 24 hours.

Brynd�s �r G�slad�ttir, a specialist in natural hazards with the Icelandic Met Office told media that five powerful earthquakes were detected in the caldera of Bardarbunga volcano on March 1, 2017.

The sequence started with M4.1 at 08:57 UTC at a very shallow depth of 0.1 km (0.06 miles) and continued with M2.3 at a depth of 2.3 km (1.5 miles) within the first minute. In total, there were 5 earthquakes with magnitude above 3.0.

Brynd�s insists that there are currently no signs of magma unrest in the area and that earthquakes have been common since the volcanic eruption in B�r�abunga ended in 2015. A similar incident happened in January 2017.

Geological summary
The large central volcano of B�r�arbunga lies beneath the NW part of the Vatnaj�kull icecap, NW of Gr�msv�tn volcano, and contains a subglacial 700-m-deep caldera. Related fissure systems include the Veidiv�tn and Trollagigar fissures, which extend about 100 km SW to near Torfaj�kull volcano and 50 km NE to near Askja volcano, respectively.

Voluminous fissure eruptions, including one at Thjorsarhraun, which produced the largest known Holocene lava flow on Earth with a volume of more than 21 cu km, have occurred throughout the Holocene into historical time from the Veidiv�tn fissure system.
The last major eruption of Veidiv�tn, in 1477, also produced a large tephra deposit. The subglacial Loki-F�grufj�ll volcanic system to the SW is also part of the B�r�arbunga volcanic system and contains two subglacial ridges extending from the largely subglacial Hamarinn central volcano; the Loki ridge trends to the NE and the F�grufj�ll ridge to the SW. J�kulhlaups (glacier-outburst floods) from eruptions at B�r�arbunga potentially affect drainages in all directions

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Strong earthquake swarm in B�r�arbunga
During the night of 08-March-2017 a strong earthquake swarm took place in B�r�arbunga volcano. Largest earthquake in this swarm had the magnitude of 4,1 and the second largest earthquake swarm had the magnitude of 3,9. Other earthquakes in this swarm where smaller in magnitude.

Earthquake activity happens in B�r�arbunga volcano mainly due to magma being injected into the main volcano at depth. This goes into magma chambers somewhere in the volcano, current data suggests that the magma chamber that erupted in in August 2014 to February 2015 is currently inflating. The rate of this type of earthquake activity has gone down in B�r�arbunga volcano, this used to be a weekly activity but now only happens every 2 to 4 weeks at the moment. This slowdown in activity is likely to continue if nothing else happens (new eruption or dyke activity).

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B�r�arbunga volcano joins Hekla: 3.2 magnitude quake and earthquake swarm over weekend

The 4.5 magnitude earthquake west of volcano Hekla on Saturday was followed up by a 3.2 magnitude quake in the B�r�arbunga caldera later the same evening. The quake, which had its epicenter at a depth of 4.3 km (2.7 miles) in the N.E. part of the caldera was followed by a swarm of smaller quakes, including two 2.1 and 2.5 magnitude quakes, in the N.E. and S.E parts of the caldera.

What is going on?
It is unlikely the two episodes are connected. The earthquakes in B�r�arbunga are caused by magma thrusting its way from the mantle to the magma chambers of the volcano, refilling it after the 2014-15 Holuhraun eruption. B�r�arbunga is preparing for continued volcanic activity.
Volcanic zones and seismic rift zones

The Saturday quake west of Hekla took place in the South Iceland Seismic Zone, a transform fault between offset sections of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge which runs through Iceland. The zone is made up of a series of fracture faults which run from SW to NE. The zone extends from the volcano Hengill, the easternmost part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone to Hekla, which is the westernmost volcano in the East Volcanic Zone.

The massive "South Iceland Quake"
There are no active volcanoes in the South Iceland Seismic Zone, but it is extremely active. The area sits between the two volcanic zones, and is constantly being pulled in two different directions, causing tension to build up in the crust which is then periodically released in earthquakes.
The zone has been the source of the most powerful earthquakes in Iceland, as the most powerful earthquake which has taken place in Iceland since the country was settled took place in the Southern Seismic Zone.

Read more: All of Iceland‘s major volcanoes showing unusually high levels of activity
On 1784 a massive earthquake, which is believed to have been 7.1 magnitude, shook all of southern Iceland, causing widespread damage to farmhouses.

The second largest earthquake, and the largest to be measured with modern equipment, was detected in 1912. This quake was 7.0 on the Richter scale. Both quakes took place close to Saturday's tremor. Quakes of this magnitude are believed to hit once every 100-150 years, and could cause significant damage. Locals in South Iceland are still waiting for the "big one".

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Earthquakes and tremors continue around notorious volcano Katla

The past few days have seen a swarm of tremors around Katla volcano, but yesterday they reached over a 3 in magnitude or up to 3.6. According to reports quakes aren’t always signs of looming eruptions although the seismic activity has been frequent of late. The Icelandic Met Office is closely monitoring the volcano and surrounding area.

Katla is a large subglacial volcano in southern Iceland. It’s been dormant under the Mydalsjokull glacier for almost 100 years, but it’s considered a very active volcano with twenty documented eruptions between 930 and 1918, with intervals of 13–95 years.

Katla hasn’t erupted forcefully since 1918, although there may have been small eruptions under the icecap that didn’t break the ice, including ones in 1955, 1999, and 2011. Prior eruptions have measured with a Volcanic Explosively Index of between VEI-4 and VEI-6 on a scale of 0 to 8. In comparison, the infamous 2010 Eyjafjallajokull eruption had a VEI-4. The last major eruption started on 12 October 1918 and lasted for 24 days. It was likely a VEI-5 level eruption.

Katla’s present dormancy is among the longest in known history and many theorize that the current seismic activity is a sure sign of a pending eruption although the Icelandic Met Office assures that there are no definite tell tale signs of a looming eruption.

Volcanologist Jon Friman speculates that the depth of some of the quakes indicates that fresh magma is making its way upward in the magma chamber. One of the quakes was measure on 14.4 km depth and Friman takes that as an indicator of the mountain getting ready to erupt, quakes on such a depth are caused by magma movement rather than movement in the earth’s crust. The greatest depth measured in this series of quakes is 15.5 km and the one closest to the surface was 0.1 km down.

The string of tremors can be observed online with updates of 60 seconds in 3D images in a program developed and made by Baering Gunnar Steinthorsson. The images display the size and depth of the quakes almost in real time. The colour coding for the age of the quakes is the same as the Icelandic Met Office uses, the newest are red, then orange, yellow, blue and the oldest ones are dark blue. The display is based on data from the Met office and it only displayed data which has been overviewed by a Volcanologist.

The 1918 eruption in Katla was major, lasting almost a month and resulting in extending the southern coast by 5 km due to lava flow deposits.

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Series of quakes near active volcano

A number of earthquakes were detected at B�r�arbunga in Vatnaj�kull tonight, according to the Icelandic Met Office. The largest quake was 4.1 in magnitude, with another one following at 4.0.

The quakes were a total of 21, with three of them over 3.0 in magnitude. There are currently no signs of increased volcanic activity in the area, although it has seen a large number of quakes over the past years.

B�r�arbunga is located north-west of Vatnaj�kull, Iceland's largest glacier. It is considered a highly active volcanic area, having last erupted between the years 2014-2015.

twitter:

jonfr500 twitterde op donderdag 14-09-2017 om 19:38:21 Sharp increase in earthquakes in �r�faj�kull volcano, https://t.co/eFNVDwXeBZ reageer retweet

twitter:

subglacial twitterde op dinsdag 24-10-2017 om 12:29:16 Small earthquakes continue at ice-capped #�raefaj�kull #volcano. In 1362 AD it produced #Iceland's largest historic… https://t.co/ubBuHt6nZL reageer retweet

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Next eruption of Bardarbunga volcano could come soon

Massive volcano in Iceland is ready to BLOW - and experts warn it could cause travel chaos
The Bardarbunga volcano has been hit by a series of earthquakes in recent days

One of Iceland's biggest volcanoes is preparing to erupt, and experts warn the ensuing ash cloud could cause travel chaos across Europe.

The 6,590ft Bardarbunga volcano, which is hidden under the ice cap of the Vatnajokull glacier, has been hit by a series of earthquakes in recent days, measuring 3.9, 3.2, 4.7 and 4.7 on the Richter scale.

Now scientists are warning that pressure inside the volcano's magma chamber is increasing, suggesting it could erupt within the next few years.

Volcanology expert P�ll Einarsson told the Daily Star that the latest quakes are part of a series that have been "in progress for two years", claiming that the volcano is "clearly preparing for its next eruption".

Disaster expert Dr Simon Day, of University College London, added that the earthquakes could "precede a large explosive eruption and consequent widespread ash fall".

The Icelandic Met Office has listed activity levels at the volcano as "high", but has not yet issued a warning.

Bardarbunga is one of the most active of Iceland's 130 volcanoes. Its last eruption in 2014 was the strongest in Europe for more than 240 years.

The eruption blew out two cubic kilometers of volcanic material over the course of several months - nearly ten times more than the Eyjafjallajokull eruption in 2010, which grounded 100,000 flights across Europe.

However, Dr Thomas Walter, from the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, said that the 2014 Bardarbunga eruption could have been a lot worse.

"The event was a blessing in disguise as the eruption could have happened directly beneath the ice," said Dr Walter.

"In that case, we'd have had a water vapour explosion with a volcanic ash cloud even bigger and longer lasting than the one that followed the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull in 2010."

Einarsson told the Star it is "impossible" to predict when the Bardarbunga volcano will erupt again, but said Icelandic authorities must take action to prepare for "more disastrous eruptions"

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Yellow alert put up for �r�faj�kull volcano
The new caldera can be seen clearly on this image.
Image 1 of 2 The new caldera can be seen clearly on this image. Photo/�g�st J. Magn�sson

A new caldera, measuring a diameter of one kilometres has been formed in this last week in �r�faj�kull glacier, a caldera spotted via satellite images of the glacier.

Iceland's volcanoes may be ready to blow

According to the Iceland Met Office this caldera shows increased activity in �r�faj�kull which is located in Vatnaj�kull, Iceland's largest glacier.

A great sulphuric stench has eminated from the river Kv�� last week.

Increased seismic activity has occured in the area in recent months, activity which has subsided in recent days. The volcano hasn't erupted since 1727. There are still no signs of an imminent eruption states an announcement from the Met Office. However, the safety code has been put up to yellow.

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B�r�arbunga trembles: 4.1 magnitude quake on Saturday

Determined not to let �r�faj�kull and Skjaldbrei�ur hog all the attention over the weekend, the monster volcano B�r�arbunga trembled on Saturday morning. A powerful 4.1 magnitude quake was detected at 6:19 AM on Saturday morning, in the southern edge of the volcano's caldera.
Read more: Scientists determine sub-glacial volcano B�r�arbunga is showing increased geothermal activity
B�r�arbunga has been showing high levels of activity for more than a year now, caused by the re-filling of the magma chambers of the volcano following the 2014-15 Holuhraun eruption. The last major quake in B�r�arbunga was on December 3. Seismologists at the Icelandic Meteorological Office say there are no signs of imminent volcanic activity in B�r�arbunga.

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Magnitude mb 4.6
Region ICELAND
Date time 2018-01-30 19:24:21.6 UTC
Location 64.84 N ; 17.39 W
Depth 10 km
Distances 230 km E of Reykjav�k, Iceland / pop: 114,000 / local time: 19:24:21.6 2018-01-30
100 km S of Akureyri, Iceland / pop: 16,600 / local time: 19:24:21.6 2018-01-30

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Intense earthquake swarm at Tjornes fracture zone
An intense earthquake swarm is taking place at Tj�rnes Fracture Zone volcano near Grimsey island, Iceland over the past 7 days. More than 1 100 of earthquakes were detected in this region since Wednesday, February 14, 2018. The last known eruption of this submarine volcano was in 1868.

The largest earthquake so far was M4.1 at 19:37 UTC on February 15, about 10 km (6.2 miles) ENE of Grimsey. "It is the largest earthquake detected in the seismic swarm that began a week ago and is still ongoing," the Icelandic Met Office said late Thursday. EMSC registered this quake as M3.7 at a depth of 14 km (8.7 miles).

A magnitude 3.2 earthquake occurred at 19:28 UTC in the same area, followed by two events above M3, at 19:38 and 19:39 UTC.

There are no signs of volcanic unrest, IMO said. "This area is part of the Tj�rnes Fracture Zone and earthquake swarms are common in the area."

More earthquakes, even bigger, cannot be ruled out, the agency added.

A total of 1 165 earthquakes were detected since 08:56 UTC on February 14. 11 of them had magnitudes above 3, 162 between 2 and 3, 951 between 1 and 2 and 41 less than 1.

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Op vrijdag 16 februari 2018 11:35 schreef Frutsel het volgende:
of 1 165 earthquakes were detected since 08:56 UTC on February 14. 1

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M4.1 earthquake hits Bardarbunga volcano, Iceland

Magnitude 4.1 earthquake was registered in the southern part of the Bardarabunga volcano caldera, Iceland on March 21, 2018. The quake hit at 22:56 UTC at a depth of 4.5 km (2.8 miles).

It was followed M2.6 at 23:02 and 2.5 at 00:38 UTC, March 22 and half a dozen of smaller quakes, but there are no signs of volcanic tremors.

These are the first quakes in the volcano since the end of January when Bardarbunga was hit by the largest quake since the end of the 2014/15 eruption.

Bardarbunga earthquakes March 21 and 22, 2018

Bardarbunga, one of the most powerful volcanic systems in Iceland, has been showing a significant level of activity in recent months, Iceland Magazine reports. These quakes are caused by magma being thrust from the Earth's mantle up into the lava chambers of the volcano. The volcano has been re-filling it's lava chambers since the end of the 2014-15 Holuhraun eruption.

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�r�faj�kull volcano showing clear signs of unrest, Iceland

�r�faj�kull volcano in southeastern Iceland, the largest active volcano and the highest peak in Iceland, is showing clear signs of unrest with an inflation phase for at least a year and a half. The last eruptive episode of this volcano started in August 1727 and ended in May 1728.

The inflation is ongoing and is reflected by increased seismicity and characteristic deformation pattern, Icelandic Department of Civil Protection said July 13, after a series of meeting with scientists from The Icelandic Meteorological Office, The University of Iceland and Iceland Geosurvey.

There are no signs of a decrease in the inflation rate or the seismicity and the state of unrest persists despite a decrease in geothermal activity since last December.

The source causing the inflation is most likely injection of new magma, scientists said. The volume change since the start of the unrest is of the order of magnitude of 10 million m3 (about 0.2 m3/sec) comparable to the intrusion activity in Eyjafjallaj�kull some years before the eruption in 2010.

New resistivity measurements indicate the presence of geothermally altered rocks at shallow levels inside the caldera consistent with intermittent high-temperature geothermal activity as seen in many other volcanoes.

Referring to possible scenarios and hazards, scientists said that �r�faj�kull is in a typical preparation stage before an eruption but the temporal evolution and the outcome is unknown. Increase in the geothermal activity with associated floods and gas release is a possible scenario.

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Sleeping giant volcano Katla trembles: Sharp earthquake swarm in caldera

Katla, a giant volcano hidden beneath the ice cap of M�rdalsj�kull glacier in South Iceland, which towers over the town of V�k, has been relatively calm and quiet for several months, following growing signs of activity in the past couple of years. Seismic activity in Katla is taken very seriously, as the volcano is under close supervision, as the volcano has erupted very regularly every 60-80 years. The last eruption took place in 1918, making Katla long overdue for an eruption.

The National Seismic Monitoring System of the Icelandic Meteorological Office recorded the earthquake swarm yesterday evening. The largest of the nearly two dozen quakes was a relatively powerful 3.1 magnitude quake at 21:39 (9:39 pm). This quake had an epicenter 6.5 km (4 mi) east-northeast of Go�abunga peak (29 km/18 miles, north-northwest of V�k) at a depth of 100 meters (330 ft). The initial tremor was followed by close to a dozen smaller tremors.

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Nine Hundred Quakes in Ongoing Earthquake Swarm

An earthquake swarm has been ongoing around �xarfj�r�ur in northeast Iceland since Saturday. According to Einar Hj�rleifsson, a natural disaster expert with the Icelandic Met Office, there have been a total of 900 quakes since the swarm began on Saturday. The swarm is on-going and currently shows no signs of subsiding.

The majority of the quakes have taken place about six kilometres south of the village of K�pasker. Eight quakes have been measured above 3.0 on the Seismic Magnitude scale, the most powerful of which took place at 8:30 pm on Wednesday night and measured 4.2. Thirty seconds later, a quake measuring 3.3 occurred; quakes of 3.3 and 3.2 followed at 9:47 pm and 9:49 pm. Smaller shocks were detected after these larger quakes.

While residents of K�pasker have felt the quakes extremely well, they haven’t been discernible elsewhere, which Einar Hj�rleifsson, the Icelandic Met Office’s natural disaster expert, says is normal given the quakes’ size and location. The quakes are taking place along the Tj�rnes Fracture Zone, which stretches from all the way up at Gr�msey island off of the north coast of Iceland to Landey island just off the coast of Stykkish�lmur in Sn�fellsnes, West Iceland.

Einar says that the current swarm hasn’t gathered momentum, but it also hasn’t shown signs of losing any, either. The fracture zone has built up a lot of tension and one of two situations is most likely. Either the swarm will slowly fade out, or the built-up tension could cause a larger earthquake, up to 6.0 on the Seismic Magnitude scale. Inhabitants in towns on the north coast of Iceland are advised to make sure all furniture is secure in the case of a larger earthquake and to review the Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management’s contingency plans.

K�pasker has been the site of numerous powerful earthquakes and earthquake swarms. On January 14, 1976, quakes measuring 5.5 to 6 damaged most of the homes in the village and necessitated the evacuation of women, children, and the elderly. Similar earthquake swarms also occurred in the area in May 1997, April 2007, April 2009, and October 2014.

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Increased seismicity under Loki-F�grufj�ll volcano (Hamarinn), Iceland

Increased seismic activity is taking place under Iceland's Hamarinn volcano, a part of Bardarbunga volcanic system, also known as Loki-F�grufj�ll.

The largest earthquakes over the past 48 hours were two M2.8 registered at a depth of 11 km (6.8 miles) at 20:46 and 20:47 UTC. 6 other earthquakes were registered by IMO during the same period, ranging from M0.5 - 1.4 (depths 0.5 km / 0.3 miles - 11 km / 6.8 miles).

The last time Hamarinn volcano had this type of earthquake activity was in 2011, Jon Frimann reports. Increased seismic activity lasted for several months before a glacial-outburst flood event (j�kulhlaup) started on July 13, 2011.

Around 280 earthquakes were located by the IMO from August 5 - 11, 2019, similar to the previous week, when 250 were located. The largest earthquake, a M2.9 occurred at 13:53 UTC on August 11, some 20 km (12.4 miles) NW of Gj�gurt�. More earthquakes were detected in North Iceland and Vatnaj�kull glacier. The intensity increased on the �r�faj�kull volcano. Two minor earthquakes where detected in Hekla, all smaller than M1.0.

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Earthquake swarm in the Tj�rnes Fracture Zone, Iceland

A seismic swarm began on October 19, 2019, in �xarfj�r�ur, Tj�rnes Fracture Zone, North Iceland.

The swarm is located around 28 km (17 miles) WNW of K�pasker and Icelandic Met Office's (IMO) seismic network has detected roughly 500 earthquakes since it started, IMO reported 12:48 UTC on October 21.

The three largest earthquakes so far are M3.2 and occurred on October 20 at 11:03, M3.5 at 19:19 and M3.1 at 22:21 UTC. Magnitude of most of the earthquakes is between M1.0 and M2.0.

The IMO said it has received reports of the largest earthquakes being felt in nearby towns

The seismic swarm is located on the Tj�rnes Fracture Zone but an intense swarm occurred there in March this year.

In that swarm, around 2 600 earthquakes were measured during one week by IMO‘s seismic network. The largest earthquake in that swarm was M4.2. Then the earthquakes were located closer to K�pasker or around 6 km (3.7 miles) SW of the town.

The offshore Tj�rnes Fracture Zone is an oblique transform zone that separates the northern volcanic zone of Iceland from the Kolbeinsey Ridge, part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge north of Iceland.

A submarine eruption was reported from 1867 to 1868 at the SE part of the fissure system off the northern coast of Iceland along the Manareyjar Ridge immediately north of Manareyjar Island.

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Earthquake swarm under Askja volcano, Iceland
Hundreds of earthquakes have been registered near the Askja caldera, in an area approximately 10 km (6 miles) east-northeast from the rim, at the depths around 5 km (3 miles) over the past couple of days. The last eruption of this volcano took place in 1961 (VEI 2).

A total of 316 earthquakes were registered in 48 hours to 19:35 UTC on November 11. 270 had magnitudes up to 1.0, 59 up to M2.0, 6 up to M3.0 and 2 over M3.0.

Over 550 small quakes have been recorded during the past five days.

The largest quakes so far were M3.4 (1.6 km / 0.9 miles E of Dreki) and 3.2 (1.8 km / 1.1 miles E of Dreki), on November 9 and 10, respectively. Both were felt by locals.

"This earthquake swarm continues to appear to be only tectonic in nature and there are no signs of magma movement in the shallow levels of the crust on nearby SIL stations. It is not possible to know for sure what is happening in deeper levels of the crust," J�n Fr�mann J�nsson of Iceland Geology said November 10.
"There is a chance this earthquake swarm is going to increase before this activity slows down. What happens next depends on the built-up stress levels in the crust in Askja volcano."

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Update three on earthquake activity in Askja volcano

This is a short update on the earthquake activity in Askja volcano.

Earthquake activity has now moved to a new phase in Askja volcano. This appears to be a rifting event taking place in Askja volcano. They do often result in a fissure eruption of lava and sometimes short lived volcano ash event. That might not happen and as of writing of this article no magma movement has been seen on nearby SIL stations. That might change without warning at any time.

It is not possible to know what happens next in this earthquake activity in Askja volcano. The only thing that can be done is to wait and see what happens.

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Update four on earthquake activity in Askja volcano

Yesterday (13-November-2019) has been a little quieter in the earthquake swarm in Askja volcano. Largest earthquake in the last 24 hours had a magnitude of Mw3,1. Over the last 48 hours around 500 earthquakes have happened in Askja volcano. There was a peak in activity after the magntidue Mw3,1 earthquake but it slowed down soon after that. Depth of this earthquake swarm has changed slightly, deepest points are now at 7 to 8 km and that might be a problem since magma is possibly at 10 to 15 km depth in this location. If this is a magma that can erupt I don’t know, if there is magma at this location it might also be a magma that’s too cold to erupt.

The earthquake activity in Askja volcano. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

The earthquakes continue to be rift-zone earthquakes along fault lines and there is as of the writing of this article no signs of magma movement in Askja volcano as a result of this earthquake swarm. This earthquake swarm has been going on for a week from today (14-November-2019). It is a question if this earthquake swarm is over or if this is just a quiet time in this earthquake swarm activity. It is known in Askja volcano eruption history that eruption in Askja volcano and nearby fissure swarms start with long period of earthquake activity that continues to grow over time. This can be read in this studies of earlier eruptions, study 1961 eruption, study 1875 eruption. Current situation continues to keep monitoring what is going on.