Category: Earthquakes

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Earthquake swarm in Krýsuvík volcano

Yesterday (25. August 2024) at 23:56 UTC an earthquake with magnitude of Mw3,6 took place in Krýsuvík volcano. This earthquake was felt in Reykjavík area and other nearby towns.

Green star just south of Kleifarvatn lake. Along with few orange dots showing the smaller earthquakes.
The earthquake activity in Krýsuvík volcano. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

This is a normal tectonic earthquake. I don’t know if it is a response to stress changes because of Svartsengi volcano cycle of inflation and deflation. This earthquake swarm seems to be over for now.

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Update on the eruption in Svartsengi on 23. August 2024 at 17:39 UTC

This is a short update on the eruption in Svartsengi volcano. This information might go outdated quickly.

  • The eruption is now on a 2 km long fissure. It is located just north of Stóra Skógfell. This is the most north part of the eruption fissure so far. Total length of the eruption fissure is 7 km, but most parts of it have stopped erupting.
  • The eruption can be seen from Reykjanesbraut on the way to Keflavík or Keflavík airport.
  • It is impossible to know how long this eruption is going to last. But harmonic tremor is already dropping and has been doing that since around 06:00 this morning. This eruption might last a day or it might last a month, at current time it is impossible to know.
  • Icelandic Met Office lost a seismometer (Litla Skógarfell) and a GPS station under lava in this eruption. So far, its only two stations. Since one (Norðurljósavegur) GPS station had been moved out of harms way earlier in August.
  • Largest earthquakes had the magnitude of Mw4,1 and Mw3,3. The larger one was just off Fagradalsfjall volcano and the smaller one was in Keilir mountain. The larger one was felt in Reykjavík and nearby areas.

This eruption can change without warning. If anything worth reporting happens. I’ll write a new article about what is going on.

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Eruption has started in Svartsengi volcano, Sundhnúkagíga

Eruption started in Svartsengi volcano, in Sundhnúkagíga crater row. The eruption is powerful as is the normal with this type of eruption. The time from earthquake start to the eruption started was around 30 to 40 minutes.

I’ll post more information if I have anything to report. Last eruption in this same area started on 29. May and ended on 22. June.

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Possible small eruption in Katla volcano, glacier flood ongoing

Starting sometimes late yesterday (26-July 2024), a small eruption seems to have started in Katla volcano. At the writing of this article, the eruption seems to be over, but it might restart at any time without warning, it is impossible to know at the moment, since harmonic tremor is unclear for now because of the glacier flood. Largest earthquake at the writing of this article had magnitude of Mw2,9.

Red dots showing small earthquakes in east part of Katla volcano caldera in Mýrdalsjökull glacier.
Earthquake activity in Katla volcano. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.
Harmonic tremor plot from Icelandic Met Office. Showing increased harmonic tremor starting at around midnight of 27-July 2024. Reaching peak few hours later before starting to lower again.
The harmonic tremor in Austmannsbunga SIL station. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

Glacier flood is ongoing and is going to be ongoing for next few hours. The area around Mýrdalsjökull glacier is dangerous because of this.

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Earthquake swarm in Brennisteinsfjöll volcano

Today (5-July 2024) an earthquake swarm started in Brennisteinsfjöll volcano. Largest earthquake had a magnitude of Mw3,1 at 07:17 UTC. This earthquake was felt in Reykjavík and nearby areas.

The earthquake swarm on the left side on this image, with orange dots because of the age of the earthquakes on the map. Green star shows the largest earthquake.
Earthquake activity in Brennisteinsfjöll volcano. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

At the writing of this article, the earthquake swarm seems to have stopped. It might restart again, since that is common in this volcano and in this area.

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Earthquake swarm in Presthnúkar volcano

Yesterday (3-July 2024) an earthquake swarm took place in Presthnúkar volcano. Largest earthquake in this swarm had a magnitude of Mw3,3. It was reported that it was felt in nearby tourist areas.

Green star in Presthnúkar volcano, along with dots showing smaller earthquakes. Langjökull glacier is shown on the top stretching to the north.
Earthquake activity in Presthnúkar volcano. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

Earthquake swarms are not common in this area. Currently I am not expecting more activity in this volcano. This earthquake activity has since stopped.

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Small earthquake swarm next to Bláfjallaskáli in Brennisteinsfjöllum volcano

Yesterday (26-June 2024) at 17:07 UTC an earthquake with magnitude of Mw3,1 took place in Brennisteinsfjöll volcano, not far from Bláfjallaskáli area. That is a popular skiing area during the winter.

Green star just south of Reykjavík area in the Bláfjöll area in Brennisteinsfjöll volcano. Smaller dots all over Reykjanes peninsula showing smaller earthquakes in the last 48 hours.
The earthquake activity in Brennisteinsfjöll volcano. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

This earthquake was part of a small earthquake swarm in the same area. It seems to have quieted down again.

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Earthquake in Brennisteinsfjöll volcano

Yesterday (23-June 2024) at 22:42 UTC an earthquake with magnitude of Mw3,1 took place in Brennisteinsfjöll volcano.

Green star in Brennisteinfjöll volcano, that are located east of Kleifarvatn lake on Reykjanes peninsula. This is south of Reykjavík city. There are dots showing smaller earthquakes on Reykjanes peninsula.
Earthquake in Brennisteinfjöll volcano, marked by the green star. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

There are no reports of this earthquake being felt. Aftershocks are a possibility in this part of Brennisteinsfjöll volcano.

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Earthquake activity in Katla volcano

Yesterday (19-June 2024) at 21:26 UTC. The largest earthquake in this swarm had a magnitude of Mw3,3. Several smaller earthquakes happened soon after.

Green star and red dots in Katla volcano caldera.
Green star showing the location of the largest earthquake in Katla volcano. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

Since then this activity has quieted down. It is impossible to know if anything more is going to happen in Katla volcano at the moment. There is more activity in Katla volcano during the summer in Iceland.

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Update on the eruption in Sundhnúkagígar on 30. May 2024 at 00:49 UTC

This is a short update on the eruption in Sundhnúkagígar on 30. May 2024 at 00:49 UTC. This might be the only update on this eruption, since normally, eruptions in Sundhnúkagígar only last one to three days normally. If that happens now remains to be seen.

Yesterday (29. May 2024) at 12:46 UTC an eruption started in Sundhnúkagígar, close to a small mountain called Sýlingafell and other nearby mountains. This is also the same area that has had eruptions in recent months. This eruption was large and peaked at 2000m3/sec. Since then it has slowed down and is maybe only around 200m3/sec to 600m3/sec for now. The flow from the eruption is going to change without warning and quickly. The eruption fissure today was at the longest around 4 km long. Currently, at the writing of this article, the eruption fissure is around 1 to 2,5 km long. How long the fissure is going to change without warning.

The eruption fissure seen from Þorbjörn mountain today at 12:58:01. A large gas cloud is coming from the eruption in a day that is slight cloudy but with sun at that moment.
The eruption just as it had started. Picture from Rúv web camera.
The eruption at 12:47:48 UTC as it was starting. The lava fountains are reaching up to 70 meters up in the air and the gas cloud keeps growing.
The eruption as it was starting. The picture is from Rúv web camera.
The eruption as it was at 12:51:24. The peak lava fountains are reaching slightly more than 70 meters up in the air and the fissure is expanding to the south and north. Gas cloud is growing and drifting to the east.
The eruption at the start. Screenshot from Rúv web camera.
The eruption as it was at 16:12:24 UTC and reaching peak of its activity. I am not sure what the peak is on this image, but based on the lava flow that is going over a small hill. It was high and a strong lava flow was happening.
The most active hour in the eruption. Screenshot from Rúv web camera.