Posted on by Jón Frímann

Glacier flood from Grímsvatn lake on Grímsfjall volcano

It has just been announced in the news that Grímsvant glacier lake has just had an glacier flood, but this lake is in the Grímsfjall volcano caldera. This glacier flood is believed to have started yesterday around 12:00 UTC. The glacier river that the water is running into is called Gígukvísl. So far this appears to be minor flood so far. But I do not know how much water as in Grímsvatn lake when this flood did take place.

At current time it is impossible to know if an eruption is going to take place following this glacier flood from Grímsvatn lake in Grímsfjall volcano.

I am going to post more information about this as I get them.

Icelandic news about this. Use Google Translate if you want to get incomprehensible news about this event.

Líklegt að Grímsvötn hafi hlaupið (Vísir.is)
Hlaup í Gígjukvísl (Rúv.is)
Jökulhlaup í Gígjukvísl (mbl.is)

17 Replies to “Glacier flood from Grímsvatn lake on Grímsfjall volcano”

  1. There is increased conductivity, the water is dark and smells of sulfur.
    Lots of ice in the river.
    Not a big one but reminds us there is something cooking under the icecap.

    1. Obviously with the sulfur smell, rain & meltwater alone does not explain that. But were there any quakes? I have not paid much attention over the past few days to Iceland’s volcanoes…

      1. So far this is just an glacier flood. Normally there are no earthquakes. That can change if the magma goes on the move.

        But we will have to wait and see if that happens now. It well might not do so. Last time Grímsvötn had an glacier flood was in October of 2010 from what I remember.

      2. Any idea whether the melt water brought volcanic debris down with it, or is the melt water diluting what would otherwise be higher readings for the electrolytes?

  2. What’s the likelihood that this is related to the last eruption? Is is from the same area or a different part of the caldera?

    1. No one knows for sure where this comes from, but its most likely from Grimsvotn.

      There was a interesting archaeological discovery made recently in Greenland.
      A danish expedition found the remains of corn fields who were planted by the settlers Erik the red put there some 1000 years ago.
      This is in Brattahlid in south Greenland where Erik the red created his settlement, this means he was able to brew ale and bake bread in Greenland at that time, this would suggest the climate was considerably warmer back then than it is now.
      http://www.visir.is/sannad-ad-eirikur-raudi-gat-bruggad-ol-a-graenlandi/article/2012120129068

      Erik went to America and brought back a Indian women to Iceland, some 80 people have been found to have her genes.
      http://www.mbl.is/frettir/taekni/2010/11/17/ameriskir_indianar_til_islands_arid_1000/

      1. One average cow needs about 13 kg of food per day. One average sheep, 1.4 kg/day.

        Grassland provides about 88 kg per cm for each hectare.

        And there was enough grazing area to provide for a cattle population that allowed the settlers to give the Bishop a farmstead and 500 head of cattle to come to Greenland and run the church.

  5. Jon, can you explain the red spikes on your Hekla-Helicorder from around 10.20 to 11.40? Is it only noise?

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