Category: Volcano

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Katla volcano releases massive amount of CO2 daily

According to new study into CO2 release of Katla volcano the amount released by the volcano is massive. According to the news on Rúv the daily amount released of CO2 is 20 kiloton (1 kiloton = 1000 tons). What is not known today is if this high release of CO2 is constant or if it fluctuates during the year. More reaches is needed into that possible.

I don’t know how much magma is needed for this amount of CO2 release from Katla volcano. What I do know is that it is not little amount of magma inside Katla volcano. Largest documented eruption in Katla volcano had a VEI size of 5. The Eldgjá eruption in 934 was more lava than volcano ash and that was the largest eruption in Katla volcano for a long time. It is not possible to predict an eruption in Katla volcano or any other volcano with good precision.

This makes Katla volcano the 3rd largest CO2 releasing volcano in the world.

Rúv News in Icelandic

Kvikusöfnun í Kötlu (Rúv.is, Icelandic)


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Fresh minor earthquake swarm in Öræfajökull volcano

Yesterday (23-August-2018) an fresh earthquake swarm started in Öræfajökull volcano. This earthquake swarm seems to be progressing in the same way as earlier earthquake swarms. Earthquake activity in Öræfajökull volcano only happens when magma is on the move inside the volcano.


Earthquake activity in Öræfajökull volcano. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

Largest earthquake in this swarm had a magnitude of 2,2 and the second largest earthquake had a magnitude of 1,9. Other earthquake activity has been as before and is mostly made of earthquake with magnitude 0,0 and up to magnitude 1,0. The magma in Öræfajökull volcano is slow moving and that is reflected in current earthquake activity.

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Earthquake swarm in Torfajökull volcano

Today (16-August-2018) at 15:53 UTC an earthquake swarm started in Torfajökull volcano. Largest earthquakes in this earthquake swarm had an magnitude of 3,8 and 3,3 at the moment other earthquakes that have happened are smaller in magnitude.


Earthquake activity in Torfajökull volcano. Largest earthquakes are marked by green stars. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

This earthquake swarm seems to be ongoing at the moment. It is possible that more earthquakes that might be felt are going to happen. The largest earthquakes in this swarm were felt in nearby tourist areas.

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Earthquake in Bárðarbunga volcano

Today (16-August-2018) a magnitude 3,5 earthquake took place in Bárðarbunga volcano. At the moment this is just a single earthquake with no aftershocks.


Earthquake activity in Bárðarbunga (green star). Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

It is possible that this is all the earthquake activity that is going to happen in Bárðarbunga volcano for the next few hours to days.

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Öræfajökull volcano eruptions in 1362 and 1727 possibly larger than previously thought

According to a news report an early result from a field study into Öræfajökull volcano eruptions in 1362 and 1727 suggest that those eruptions where possibly larger then previously thought.

According to the research so far the following has been discovered.

  • Volcano ash layers from the eruption 1362 are 3 meters thick. They where thought be around 0,5 meters thick. This suggests that the eruption in 1362 was larger than previously thought.
  • The craters from the eruption 1727 have been found. That eruption was close to the Fimmvörðuháls eruption in Eyjafjallajökull volcano in 2010 (not under glacier eruption).
  • Pictures of the magma that has been found suggest that both eruptions where highly felsic (rhyolitic) type and high in gas content. There are also high in crystals (known as crystallization of magma). What type of crystals is not known at the moment (not mentioned in the news).

That fact does explain the current process of earthquakes in Öræfajökull volcano and why earthquake activity drops down to almost nothing every few weeks in Öræfajökull volcano. The magma in Öræfajökull volcano is slow moving and there is a lot of it. Current volume is around the same that started the eruption in Eyjafjallajökull volcano in 2010 (there are massive differences between the two, so comparing the volcanoes is subject to limitations).

Icelandic News from Vísir.is

Fyrri eldgos í Öræfajökli mun öflugri en áður var talið (Vísir.is, Video, images, Icelandic only)

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Earthquake swarm in south part of Katla volcano caldera

Today (9-August-2018) an earthquake activity increased in south part of Katla volcano caldera. It doesn’t appear that any earthquake in this swarm reached magnitude 2,0.


Earthquake activity in south part (towards the coastline) of the caldera of Katla volcano. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

It is unclear why this earthquake activity is happening at the moment. There isn’t anything unusual on harmonic tremor plots at the moment and nothing suggesting that an eruption is going to happen any time soon.

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More earthquake activity in Katla volcano

Today (8-August-2018) at 21:39 UTC an earthquake with magnitude of 3,1 took place in Katla volcano. Second largest earthquake in this activity so far had a magnitude of 2,4. This earthquake activity appears to be ongoing and magnitudes and number of earthquakes is going to change.


Earthquake activity in Katla volcano. Green star is the magnitude 3,1 earthquake. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

There is no change in harmonic tremor at the moment and that for now rules out any movement of magma inside Katla volcano. This might be connected to glacier floods that are now coming from Mýrdalsjökull glacier.

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Minor earthquake swarm in Katla volcano, ongoing glacier flood from Mýrdalsjökull glacier

Today (7-august-2018) a minor earthquake swarm took place in Katla volcano. Largest earthquake in this swarm had a magnitude of 2,9 and other earthquakes where smaller in magnitude.


Earthquake activity in Katla volcano. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

There is also a glacier flood coming from Mýrdalsjökull glacier. This has resulted in dangerous levels of Hydrogen sulfide gases close to Múlakvísl glacier river and the police has asked people not to stop in the area due to a risk of gas build up. The Hydrogen sulfide is at lethal levels in some areas where wind cannot move it.

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Considerable earthquake swarm in Katla volcano

Since early this morning (2-August-2018) there has been considerable earthquake swarm activity in Katla volcano. This earthquake swarm started yesterday (1-August-2018) at low rate but during the night and after a minor stop the earthquake rate increased and at the moment this earthquake swarm can be considered ongoing.


Green star is the magnitude 3,6 earthquake in Katla volcano. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

Largest earthquake so far had a magnitude of 3,7 and the second largest magnitude has been 2,2. Other earthquakes are smaller in magnitude at the moment. No change in harmonic tremor has been observed at the moment. There is a lot suggesting that glacier water from hydrothermal areas under Mýrdalsjökull glacier are now flooding into Múlakvísl glacier river. I got a report of that over facebook yesterday, but nothing has been confirmed officially at the moment.

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Slight increase in earthquake activity in Öræfajökull volcano

Today (1-August-2018) there seems to be a minor increase in earthquake activity in Öræfajökull volcano. What has also happened is that magnitude of earthquakes today has been slightly larger then in a normal week. Few magnitude 1,0 and larger and at least one magnitude 1,5 earthquake have happened so far.


Earthquake activity in Öræfajökull volcano (right corner, to the ocean). Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

Current rate of earthquakes have dropped down to 50 earthquakes a week from earlier 100 earthquakes a week. This change might be normal for Öræfajökull volcano since this magma intrusion seems to be moving slowly inside the volcano. Regular earthquake activity continues to happen and there is no sign that is changing at the moment.

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