Category: Earthquakes

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Earthquakes deep on the Reykjanes Ridge

Yesterday (20.01.2013) there where few medium sized earthquakes deep on the Reykjanes Ridge. This earthquakes where far off the coast of Iceland (around 1340 km from Reykjavík). So this earthquake swarm is just being noticed on instruments. What is going on there is impossible to know. The largest earthquake in this swarm is a magnitude Mb5.2 earthquake that did happen at 21:40 UTC. Earlier and earthquakes that did follow this earthquake had the magnitude from Mb4.7 to Mb5.0. But any smaller earthquakes are unlikely to be detected at this distance from any seismometer network in Europe or America.


Location of the largest earthquake in this swarm. A magnitude 5.2 earthquake. Copyright of this image belongs to EMSC.

More earthquake activity might take place on this location. But it is hard to know due to lack of data. But it is worth keeping an eye on it. As things remain quiet in Iceland at the moment.

Blog post updated at 00:37 UTC on 21.01.2013.

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Magnitude 3.3 earthquake in Bárðarbunga volcano during the night

At 02:55 UTC today (18.12.2012) there was a magnitude 3.3 earthquake in Bárðarbunga volcano system. Earthquakes are common in this area so this activity is no surprise. Origins of this earthquakes are due to tectonic movements in the area. Not magma related changes.


Green star marks the magnitude 3.3 earthquake in Bárðarbunga volcano system. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Meteorological Office.

Aftershocks have followed this earthquake. So far the largest one got the magnitude 2.2. More earthquake activity can be expected in this area. But that is normal and not unexpected.

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Earthquake swarm in Katla volcano caldera

Yesterday (14.12.2012) from 20:50 UTC until 22:52 UTC there was an minor earthquake swarm in Katla volcano caldera. The largest earthquake in this swarm was a magnitude 2,2 earthquake. With the depth of 0,1 km. So it was a shallow earthquake. This is not uncommon for this part of Katla volcano. This earthquake activity has its origin in hydrothermal activity or changes in hydrothermal systems in this area of Katla volcano caldera.


Earthquake swarm in Katla volcano. This area has had earthquakes swarms before. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Meteorological Office.

I do not expect anything special to result from this earthquake swarm. Since it is highly unlikely that Katla volcano is going to erupt in December. It is also a when it comes to earthquakes. Katla volcano has a lot of them during the year and earthquake swarm as this one should be expected to happen every once in a while.

Blog post updated at 10:42 UTC on 15.12.2012.

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Earthquake swarm north of Kolbeinsey Island

During the night (on 15.12.2012) there was a swarm of earthquakes far north of Kolbeinsey Island. The distance from Kolbeinsey Island is about 100 to 200 km. What exactly is taking place at this location is impossible to know for now. Since this is far from Iceland and the SIL network. Last eruption is believed to have taken place around this area back in the year 1999, or at least there was an large dike intrusion at that time. What did happen exactly is not known.


The earthquake activity north of Kolbeinsey Island at midnight (00:00 UTC) 15.12.2012. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Meteorological Office.


Earthquake activity at 09:00 UTC this morning (15.12.2012). More earthquakes have taken place since midnight. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Meteorological Office.

There is a chance of more earthquakes in this area. It can also be expected that not all earthquake activity in this area is being detected by the SIL network. Due to distance, weather and ocean activity.

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Dike intrusion in Askja volcano

Today (14.12.2012) around 12:00 UTC Askja volcano had dike intrusion. This dike intrusion was not in the main volcano it self. But a good distance away from it. But this is in a area that has erupted before in distant past in a fissure style eruption (just lava, no volcano ash). What is the case now I am not sure at the moment. But this dike intrusion was at the depth of 25 to 22 km. So it has long way to go before any eruption takes place. This dike intrusion did also not show any sign of moving upwards according to Rúv News of this event.


Earthquake map from IMO showing the dike intrusion clearly. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Meteorological Office.

What this means in the long term is impossible to know at this point. But this is one event in a long series of events that started in March 2010. This is going to end with a eruption. Large or small is impossible to know until it happens. What is also impossible to know is when and where such eruption might take place. As is always the case with active volcanoes. There is at least no reason to panic about this. Not now, not ever.

Donations: I am still needing donations to cover my cost of buying 3G hardware for upcoming geophone stations Böðvarshólar (total cost around 1300 DKK, or 29900 ISK). I have got some donations already. But they just cover the cost of UPS and USB card for Skeiðflöt geophone station. But I was fixing technical problems with it. Thanks for the support.

Icelandic News about this

Á annan tug skjálfta austur af Öskju (Rúv.is)

Blog post updated at 23:29 UTC on 14.12.2012

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Interesting earthquake swarm in TFZ

Today (12.12.2012) there was a interesting earthquake swarm in south part of TFZ (close to a place called Ásbyrgi). This earthquake swarm did consist mostly of minor earthquakes. With magnitudes of from ML0.2 and up to magnitude ML2.6. This earthquake swarm is tectonic in nature. I do not believe it is volcanic in nature. But this earthquake swarm is inside Krafla volcano fissure swarm or TFZ-NVZ two volcanoes. I am not sure in this case here.


The earthquake swarm is in the corner of this image. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Meteorological Office.

This earthquake swarm might not mean anything special as is. But earthquake activity in this area has been some for the past few years. But it has so far never resulted in any major events so far in this area.

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TFZ earthquake swarm update on 06.12.2012

The earthquake swarm on TFZ continues to this day. It has been ongoing for more then one month already. The largest earthquake in the past few days has been a earthquake with the magnitude of ML2.7. Most other earthquakes that have been taking place are in the magnitude range of ML0.0 and up to ML2.7. Activity in this area happens with high and lows. With latest high being just few days ago. This continued earthquake activity shows that this area continues to be at risk of large earthquake.


Earthquake activity in TFZ yesterday (05.12.2012). It continues in the same area as Mb5.6 earthquake that took place on 21. October 2012. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Meteorological Office.


Earthquake activity in TFZ today (06.12.2012). Not many new earthquake have taken place since yesterday (05.12.2012. Picture above). But there is regular activity in this area and that makes the earthquake swarm continuous. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Meteorological Office.

Currently there are no signs that this earthquake swarm is about to end. Even if there is a drop in activity for a day or two. It continues as it has been doing since 21st October 2012. I am going to post updates on this earthquake swarm regularly. If anything major happens. I am going to post update soon as I can do so.

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Harmonic tremor level drops in Grímsfjall volcano

During the night. Harmonic tremor levels started to drop in Grímsfjall volcano. The reason for this harmonic tremor level increase remain unknown and unclear. But no volcano related activity has been seen or recorded so far in Grímsfjall volcano.


Harmonic tremor levels in Grímsfjall volcano. This is high resolution image. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Meteorological Office.


Harmonic tremor levels in Grímsfjall volcano. This is low resolution image. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Meteorological Office.

Some earthquake activity has been taking place following this events. But the earthquakes have been small and do not suggest anything is about to take place in Grímsfjall volcano.


Earthquake activity in Grímsfjall volcano for the past 48 hours. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Meteorological Office.

So far Grímsfjall volcano has remained quiet during this glacier flood. With nothing suggesting that it is going to change soon. As for the glacier flood it self. According to latest news it seems to have peaked and is now dropping. But this was a small glacier flood. With just rise about 153 cm. But that is quite small compared to many older glacier floods from Grímsfjall volcano.

Icelandic News about this glacier flood

Hlaupið í Grímsvötnum virðist hafa náð hámarki (Vísir.is)
Hlaupið í Gígjukvísl í rénun (Rúv.is)

Blog post updated at 12:48 UTC on 27.11.2012