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

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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:

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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 Eyjafjallajökull 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 Eyjafjallajökull 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 Múlakvísl river, an outlet from Mýrdalsjökull, in addition to a flood from the Entujökull glacier. Presently, water-level and electrical conductivity measurements at the bridge over Múlakvísl show increased drainage of geothermal meltwater from Mýrdalsjökull - the ice-cap overlying Katla. We have received several reports throughout the summer of a hydrogen sulphide stench from glacial rivers around Myrdalsjökull.

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.

Vísir 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 Magnús Tumi Guðmundsson 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 Kristín Jónsdóttir told RÚV. “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 Páll Einarsson told RÚV.

“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, Páll 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 Múlakvísl.

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.