Category: Volcano

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Minor earthquake swarm in El Hierro volcano

After the eruption ended in El Hierro volcano it seems that minor magma dike intrusions have been taking place. This magma intrusions so far appears to be deep and not big. Given the depth and the size of the earthquakes that are currently taking place. This also suggests that new magma continues to flow into El Hierro volcano. But that flow might be at slower rate then it was early in the year 2011 before the eruption started. The largest earthquake in this swarm had the size ML2.8 with the depth of 12 km. Based on automatic data.


The current earthquake activity in El Hierro volcano. The earthquake swarm in question was small in size. Copyright of this picture belongs to IGN.


The earthquake activity appears clearly on this picture. The highest peak is the ML2.8 earthquake. Copyright of this picture belongs to IGN.

It is hard to know for sure what this means for future eruption events. Before the earthquake swarm today there was an small eruption somewhere in El Hierro volcano. It can be seen by the harmonic tremor levels. But this event was small, a lot smaller then earlier events. All that can be done is to wait and see what happens next in El Hierro volcano.

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Earthquake with the magnitude of ML4.7 in Hawaii Island

Last night at 02:36 UTC (23.01.2012) there was an earthquake with the magnitude of ML4.7 in Hawaii Island. This earthquake was felt according to what I have been reading about on the forum. This earthquake activity is most likely due to changes in tectonic stresses in the area. Rather then anything volcanic.


The location of the earthquake. Copyright of this picture belongs to EMSC-CSEM.


Location of the earthquake from USGS. Copyright of this picture belongs to USGS.

The largest aftershock following this earthquake did get the size ML3.1 Earthquake activity is currently ongoing. But I do not know to what extent exactly. Sharp aftershocks should be expected in this area in the next few hours to days.

M 5.0 – ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII – 2012-01-23 02:36 UTC (EMSC)
Magnitude 4.7 – ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII (USGS)

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Earthquake(s) in Hekla volcano

At 17:53 UTC there where two (or one) earthquake(s) in Hekla volcano. They where in the main volcano it self. The size of this earthquakes where ML06 and ML0.7, the depth was 2.5 km and 0.7 km. I am unsure what this means. But there is an slight possibly that an eruption might be under way. But at the moment no eruption has started so far. So only thing that can be done is to wait and see what happens next.


The earthquake in Hekla volcano at 17:53 UTC. Copyright of this picture belongs to Iceland Meteorological Office.

All that can be done for the moment is wait and see what happens. As so far this is the only earthquake in Hekla volcano. But that can change without warning at any time. I am going to monitor this as best I can this evening. But I am going to be away part of the evening and not close to any internet connection.

Update 1: An second earthquake did happen in Hekla volcano system during this morning. Its size was ML0.8 with the depth of 2.2 km. Other earthquakes that have happened also have been corrected. But the size of those earthquakes where ML1.0 at 0.1 km depth and ML0.7 at 8.3 km depth. Two of this earthquakes (ML0.8 and ML0.7) where not in Hekla volcano it self. But inside Hekla volcano system at good distance from the mountain it self.

Hekla volcano system earthquake during the past 48 hours. Small earthquakes have been taking place in the south end of Hekla volcano system (north of Hvolsvöllur village) for several months now. What this means I have no idea. Copyright of this picture belongs to Iceland Meteorological Office.

Blog post updated at 18:41 UTC on 22.01.2012.

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El Hierro volcano eruptions ends (again)

Based on the harmonic tremor data in the past few hours it seems that the eruption in El Hierro volcano has ended again. How long or if the eruption has really ended now is impossible to know at the moment. However it is clear based on the tremor activity that all eruption activity has ended and it did so suddenly and after sharp increase in activity several hours before that.


The activity in El Hierro volcano today. Notice the spikes when the eruption suddenly gains energy and how fast it dies out based on the tremor data. Copyright of this image belongs to IGN (Instituto Geográfico Nacional).

Even if the eruption has ended. For the moment anyway. The area where the eruption took place is going to have hydro thermal activity for several months to comes, and up to many years if there are any shallow dike intrusions in the base of El Hierro volcano (and Island). I do not yet know if the eruption has ended, or if this is just an brake in the current eruption cycle. But next few hours to days are going to make it clear if this is an break or not. But I would not be surprised if the eruption started again at the same location, or an new one. As this is shield volcano and there eruption pattern often have breaks in them for shorter and longer periods of time.

Update 1: It has been sad that the graph has once again been re-scaled. To what size I do not know for sure. But in an comment on Facebook it was sad to be around -36dB. If that is the case. I am wrongly interpreting the data. Because of that. I have no idea what is going on in El Hierro volcano at the moment.

Update 2: It seems that activity has renewed again in El Hierro volcano. It started around 04:06 UTC and lasted until around 10:00 UTC. Then it started again at 16:00 UTC and is currently ongoing. This is now an eruption that happens in episodes. That means there are going to be longer and shorter breaks between eruptions in El Hierro volcano.


Activity in El Hierro volcano today. The increase in harmonic tremor marks the start of new eruption in El Hierro volcano. Copyright of this image belongs to IGN (Instituto Geográfico Nacional).

Blog post updated at 00:50 UTC on 20.01.2012.
Blog post updated at 19:31 UTC on 20.01.2012.

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Small earthquake swarm in Hengill volcano

Yesterday (17.01.2012) an small earthquake swarm started in Hengill volcano. This earthquake is in the area where Orkuveita Reykjavíkur (OR) has been pumping down cold water from the hydro-thermal power plant that they have in the area. So far the largest earthquake in this minor earthquake swarm is just ML2.0 in size according to automatic size estimation. The depth of this earthquake swarm is around 5 km.


The earthquake activity in Hengill volcano today and yesterday (17.01.2012 and 18.01.2012). Copyright of this picture belongs to Iceland Meteorological Office.

The earthquake activity in this area repeats it self regularly due to water being pumped down into the ground. This has increased the risk of large (Mb5.0 or larger) earthquake in this area. But it is impossible to be sure if such events take place. As this is most likely just going to speed up an process that is already in place by nature forces in Hengill volcano (earthquakes, nothing else). So for the moment, the only thing that can be done is to wait and see what happens next.

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Grímsfjall volcano prepares for new eruption

It is clear that Grímsfjall volcano is an restless volcano. In the year 2011 it had the largest eruption for at least 140 years. But even so that does not stop the volcano from preparing new eruption sometimes soon. But I am now expecting an new eruption from Grímsfjall volcano in the next 12 to 48 months or so at the earliest. The preparing for eruption clues have already started to show. But that is an slow increase in earthquakes in Grímsfjall volcano. Something that has always been a clear indicator of that an eruption might not be far off, even if nobody knows when and how big next eruption is going to be. It has been documented that Grímsfjall volcano does sometimes have an eruption every once or two year when the activity is at highest. But since the year 1983 the eruptions in Grímsfjall volcano have been getting more frequent and larger, the largest one so far being last year.


The latest earthquake in Grímsfjall volcano. It has not been reviewed so it’s location might change. Copyright of this picture belongs to Iceland Meteorological Office.


GPS data from the past 6 months (I think). As can be seen not a lot of magma has been going into Grímsfjall volcano system since the large eruption that started 21.05.2011. So far the inflation has only been around 100 mm to date, but even so that is more then whole inflation of Eyjafjallajökull volcano in the year 2010. But that was only around 60 mm for comparison. Copyright of this picture belongs to Iceland Meteorological Office.

It is unclear what happens next in Grímsfjall volcano. But for us how watch volcanoes. This is going to mean a lot of waiting time until next eruption in Grímsfjall volcano.

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Minor magma dike intrusion into Upptyppingar tuff mountain

Yesterday (12.01.2012) there was an minor earthquake swarm in Upptyppingar tuff mountain. But they are inside Kverkfjöll volcano fissure swarm that extends several km away from the main volcano. The largest earthquake in this earthquake swarm was around ML2.0 in size, with the depth of 14.4 km. But this was also the deepest earthquake in this earthquake swarm. But most of the earthquakes had the depth of 14.4 km and up to 7.8 km. So I am sure that this was magma, rather then tectonic movements that did create this small earthquake swarm.


The earthquake activity in Upptyppingar tuff mountains. Copyright of this picture belongs to Icelandic Meteorological Office.

This might mean that there is more activity on the way in Upptyppingar tuff mountain. As this suggests that new magma has started to flow into the magma sill that has formed under the Upptyppingar tuff mountains. It is hard to know or if there is going to be an eruption there. But I find it most likely going to be the case. But it might well be good 10 to 20 years into the future until an eruption happens in that spot. But activity started in this area in the year 2007, so there already have been good 5 years since activity started in Upptyppingar tuff mountain. For the moment however, it is all wait and see and earthquakes.

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Minor earthquakes in Hekla volcano system

During the past 24 to 48 hours there has been some unusual and interesting earthquake activity in south part of Hekla volcano system. I am unsure on what this means, as normally Hekla volcano does not have any earthquakes before an eruption. However, that is not the only type Hekla volcano can and has erupted over the centuries. One of the aspect of Hekla volcano eruptions is that it can and has erupted in fissure eruptions outside the main mountain. This type of eruptions can last from few week and up to almost a year. Based on the limited historical records of such events. This type of events are always basaltic lava events that do not make a lot of volcano ash when they start.


The earthquakes in Hekla volcano during the last 48 hours. Copyright of this picture belongs to Iceland Meteorological Office.

There are clues that Hekla volcano might be about to have an fissure eruption some time in the future. But when and where is impossible to know for sure at current time. How that is going to manifest it self when the time comes is also impossible to know for sure. At current time there is however no eruption starting in Hekla volcano. When it might start is an good guess, with no answer to it.

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New magma injection into El Hierro volcano

Based on the earthquake activity in El Hierro volcano it seems that new magma injection has taken place, or is taking place at current time in El Hierro volcano.

This new magma injection into El Hierro volcano has already been followed by stronger harmonic tremors and more activity on the surface. As should have been expected when this happens. It is impossible to know at the moment how large and how long this new magma injection is going to last. But while it is ongoing, more eruption activity should be expected from El Hierro volcano. So far nothing suggests that new vents are about to open up in El Hierro volcano at the moment.

Other then this renewed activity. Nothing else has been happening in El Hierro volcano. There have been some news reports (in Spanish, use Google Translate to read) about new thermal anomalies in El Hierro volcano. This might just be hydro-thermal activity following dike intrusions at shallow depth.

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New video of the eruption in El Hierro volcano

The eruption in El Hierro volcano continues with on and off rhythmic at the moment. So fluxuations in the harmonic tremor plots can be rather huge. That is from considerable amount of tremors down to no harmonic tremors at all.


The harmonic tremor in El Hierro volcano. Copyright of this picture belongs to IGN (Instituto Geográfico Nacional).

Here is also an video of the eruption in El Hierro volcano. I do believe that this pictures are rather new. But I am not sure. The audio is Spanish.

It is impossible to know for how long El Hierro volcano is going to keep up the current eruption pattern. But this pattern might stop at any time, without any warning at all.