Category: Volcano

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Minor dike intrusion into Bárðarbunga volcano and earthquakes deep south of Iceland

Yesterday (03.02.2012) at 10:42 to 10:47 UTC there was an minor dike intrusion into Bárðarbunga volcano. Based on the earthquake activity and the depth that they where on. It seems that they did not go close to the surface. Based on the earthquake pattern, the dike intrusion did only go up to the depth of 12 km. But this dike intrusion did rise up from the depth of 22 km.


The dike intrusion into Bárðarbunga volcano. It can be seen by the dense earthquake swarm in Bárðarbunga volcano. Copyright of this picture belongs to IMO.

It is hard to know what this means. But it is for sure an clear sign of more activity in Bárðarbunga volcano. But this is no clear sign that an eruption might be about to take place in the nearby future.

Reykjanes Ridge

Yesterday (03.02.2012) there was an earthquake swarm deep south of Iceland. This earthquake swarm was located on the Reykjanes Ridge. It is impossible to know for sure what was going on at this location due to distance from land. But the average distance of this earthquake swarm is about 450 km south of Eldeyjarboða on the Reykjanes Ridge. The recorded size of this earthquake swarm was from ML3.1 to ML3.3. But that is most likely an underestimate of the earthquake size due to distance from the SIL network.


The star mark the earthquakes. Copyright of this picture belongs to IMO.

Other then this it has been quiet in Iceland. But that has more to due with storms and bad weather. But it has also been quiet in Iceland during the past few weeks. It might continue like that for some time now. When this ends is impossible to know for sure.

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Earthquake swarm in Katla volcano caldera

This morning there was an earthquake swarm in Katla volcano. This is the first earthquake swarm of the year 2012. This earthquake swarm is most likely created by an dike intrusion. Based on how dense the earthquake swarm appears to be. But that is often an sign of an dike intrusion in an volcano. How this earthquake swarm is going to evolve over the next few hours impossible to know for sure. That depends on what the magma is going to do that is creating this earthquake swarm.


The earthquake swarm in Katla volcano. It is dense as can be on this picture from Iceland Meteorological Office. Copyright of this picture belongs to Iceland Meteorological Office.

The earthquakes can be seen on my geophone web page here (English). The geophone at Skeiðflöt is going to go up this week. So all activity in Katla volcano is going to appear more clearly following that. Sadly. No high resolution of the earthquakes that take place is not going to be available until I move back to Denmark. As my main earthquake computer is offline and is going to be so until that time.

I am going to post updates to this if anything more happens. But it might take a while as I am travelling today to Reykjavík area and tomorrow I am going to Skeiðflöt tomorrow.

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Update on Grímsfjall volcano glacier flood

During the past several hours the amount of water in the glacier flood from Grímsfjall volcano has not dropped a lot, but this glacier flood started two days ago (27.01.2012 around 12:00 UTC). But that might be down to heavy rain in the area. Normally a glacier flood from Grímsvatn lake (inside the Grímsfjall volcano caldera) last for about one to two days during a normal glacier flood. It is believed that this glacier flood is from Grímsfjall volcano glacier lake. But it might be hard to confirm this during this time of the year.


Possible noise from the glacier flood on this SIL station. This might however be increased noise due to heavy rain on it. Copyright of this picture belongs to IMO.

I have known for some time now that Grímsfjall volcano is preparing for a new eruption. This I know because of the increase in earthquake activity and increased hydro thermal activity in Grímsfjall volcano. So far there is nothing that suggest that Grímsfjall volcano is going to erupt this time around, at least for the moment. I am expecting this glacier flood to be over in the next several hours. No earthquakes have happened in Grímsfjall volcano during this glacier flood. I do not expect them to take place unless magma starts moving inside Grímsfjall volcano. Be that dike intrusion or start of an eruption.

Icelandic news about the glacier flood.

Óbreytt ástand í Gígjukvísl (mbl.is)
Sama vatnshæð í Gígjukvísl (Rúv.is)
Vatnshæð hélst óbreytt í nótt (Vísir.is)

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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)

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Etna volcano prepares for new eruption

According to web cam images and images on the internet of Etna volcano. It seems that Etna volcano is preparing for an new small eruption. When and how big this eruption is going to be is impossible to know for sure. But ash emission have already started in the crater that is most likley going to erupt.

I am going to update this blog post with more details if I can get them.

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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.