Category: Monitoring

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What is happening in El Hierro volcano

This is a special blog post about the volcano El Hierro in the Canary Islands. The resons for this blog posts are those that this activity is interesting and there is not a lot happening at the moment in Iceland due to bad weather (nothing gets recorded in this bad weather).

Currently El Hierro volcano is a phase that I personally call a magma intrusion phase (I have no other word for it). But that means that magma is currently coming from a depth, that is more then 20 km below the volcano and up the crust directly below the volcano. It is impossible to know how long this phase is going to last. As a example this phase for Eyjafjallajökull volcano lasted for good part of 17 years (with some breaks). When the pressure is high enough in the sill that is now forming in El Hierro the magma is going to break up the surface.

This pattern can clearly be seen on this image here.


The magma is flowing up into the volcano at around 30 degree angle from the depth of more then 20 km. When a new magma injection starts, a new earthquake swarm starts in El Hierro. This magma injections are different in size and length. But as more magma collects into the bedrock in El Hierro the stronger earthquakes are going to take place. But this increases the pressure on the rock and inside the magma chamber that is now forming and can clearly been seen with the earthquake pattern. Copyright of this picture belongs to Instituto Geográfico Nacional.

I did see a picture that was made on Eruptions blog that did show his clearly, both the feeder channel of the magma and the magma chamber that is currently in the making. It seems that magma inflow into the new magma chamber or the sill in El Hierro is stable at the moment. But I base that view on the constant earthquakes that are currently taking place. But this magma inflow seems to have been stable since 16 July, 2011 when the magma started to push upwards into El Hierro.

Earthquakes that signal new inflow of magma do not need to be strong in size. But they are deep, with the most depth around 20 km. But the crust in this area is around 10 to 26 km thick. As this is a ocean crust in this area. But the Canary islands are the thickest crustal part in the area. But it is also important to notice that the magma chamber or the sill is expanding in all directions, not just upwards. That in it self is also going to create deep earthquakes. But those earthquakes should remain a bit outside the main area of the deep earthquakes that are currently taking place in the area.

I am expecting a lot more earthquake activity when or if El Hierro starts erupting. But when that might happen impossible to know for the moment. The only thing that can be done is too wait and see what happens.

Update 1: Here is the earthquake activity for today (30 September, 2011).


Earthquake activity of today (30 September, 2011). There is less earthquake activity today. This happens when magma flows into a volcano. This did also happen with Eyjafjallajökull volcano in the year 2010. If anyone has the direct link too this plot, please leave it in the comments. Thanks. Copyright of this picture belongs to Instituto Geográfico Nacional.

Update 2: Links too El Hierro information can be found here.

Update 3: The Spanish news channel Canal 24 can be found here and it is live.

Update 4: Here is a news in english about the evacuation of El Hierro. It is from 28 September, 2011. Evacuation of El Hierro begins as fears of volcanic eruption grow. Thanks to Dr. John v. Kampen that did send this to me with a email.

Note: There are new pictures of Eyjafjallajökull volcano, Fimmvörðuháls craters here. They show the difference from the year 2010 and in the year 2011. The text is in Icelandic.

Also. Please support my effort so I can buy two new geophones and add them to my monitoring network in Iceland. Thanks! 🙂

Blog post has been updated 30 September, 2011 at 22:12 UTC.
Blog post has been updated 30 September, 2011 at 22:25 UTC.
Blog post has been updated 30 September, 2011 at 23:08 UTC.
Blog post has been updated 1 October, 2011 at 14:48 UTC.

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Support to buy two geophones stations for Eyrarbakki and Katla volcano

I am asking for donations so that I can buy two geophone stations for Eyrarbakki town for SISZ and Reykjanes monitoring. The second geophone goes close to Katla volcano so I can monitor what happens there. The total cost is like this just for the basic geophone hardware. Not counting computers and other costs that I have too cover.

2 – PSN-ADC-USB Version III (USB version) = $175.00 each, total = $350.00
2 – PSN-ADC-EQAMP with 3 channels = $145.00 each, total = $290.00
2 – Mounting Kits @ $10.00 each, total = $20.00
2 – Garmin GPS 18x LVC OEM Timing System @ $80.00 each, total = $160.00
2 – Metal Enclosure @ $50.00 each, total = $100.00
2 – L15B Used Geophone with wires @ $110.00 each, total = $220.00
Shipping = $88.00
Total = $1228.00USD (904.600EUR, 6,731.18 DKK)

Amount at the moment (13:35 UTC, 1 October, 2011): 3,926.44 DKK

The hardware that I want to buy can be looked at here (pictures).

This donation button allows people to donate in USD. Use the donation button on the sidebar to donate in Euro.

So far I got 1,045.81 DKK in donations. But I also need some for the custom and VAT when I import this to Iceland. But I am sure think that the custom is going to 10% on some of this and the VAT rate is 25,5% of the price (plus customs). I am no good in math, so I am not sure how much amount this is going to be. I also want to buy backup power if I can, but that costs 101,69USD, 553,04DKK, 74,33EUR, 11950ISK.

I also need two computers. But those I need to get from somebody that lives in Iceland. They need to be able to run Windows XP and that needs to be legal too. Other versions of Windows are good too. But they have to support IPv6, as I plan to move my whole geophone network to IPv6 soon as it is supported by the software that I use. I plan to set-up this two new geophones soon as I can.

Update 1: About the PC issue that has been discussed in comments. If anyone has a suggestion about a embedded hardware that is cheap and might even run Windows XP (a minimal if I am too use that). Please let me know in the comments. I am also willing to run embedded linux software on the remote stations if it works with the software that I am using. That software is WinSDR.


Donations in other currencies (by request)

Danish Krona, DKK.

British Pound, GBP.

Swedish Krona, SEK.

Blog post updated at 20:23 UTC on 28 September, 2011.
Blog post update at 20:29 UTC on 28 September, 2011.
Blog post updated at 22:12 UTC on 28 September, 2011.
Blog post updated at 23:29 UTC on 28 September, 2011.
Blog post updated at 11:42 UTC on 29 September, 2011.
Blog post updated at 20:11 UTC on 29 September, 2011.
Blog post updated at 20:13 UTC on 29 September, 2011.
Blog post updated at 13:35 UTC on 1 October, 2011.

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What did happen in Hamarinn volcano yesterday

I really did think that a eruption was about to start in Hamarinn volcano yesterday. As the signal that I was seeing was not far from what I did see on 12 July, 2011 when a eruption did take place for sure in Hamarinn volcano.

Here is the tremor signal from 12 July early in the morning.


The harmonic tremor signal on 12 July, 2011 at 07:49 UTC. Copyright of this picture belongs to Iceland Met Office.

Here is the signal on the 27 September, 2011.


The harmonic tremor signal on 27 September, 2011 at 09:34 UTC. Copyright of this picture belongs to Iceland Met Office.

The tremor signal in July was stronger, but it looks almost the same way as the signal yesterday (27 September, 2011) did. So I think I know what did happen yesterday (27 September, 2011) in Hamarinn volcano. There might have been a minor dike intrusion into Hamarinn volcano. There where no earthquakes as it might have been going up resistance free pathway. But it is hard to know that for sure at the moment. Later events might however make what happened yesterday more clear what did happen on 27 September, 2011.

Note: I am looking for data on El Hierro volcano. As I am going to make a special blog post about it soon. I am looking for everything that I can get my hands on and might be useful to me.

Note 2: I have updated this blog post here and added the most recent eruptions in Iceland. Blog post: A short history of volcano eruptions in Iceland

Blog post updated at 12:59 UTC on 28 September, 2011.

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No eruption starting in Hamarinn volcano

There seems to be a minor eruption starting in Hamarinn volcano (might be part of Bárðarbunga volcano). Given the current tremor signature on Skrokkalda SIL station.


The start of a harmonic tremor spike on Skrokkalda SIL station. Most likley from Hamarinn volcano. Copyright of this picture belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

For the moment I do not know if this is going to remain a small eruption or might evolve to larger eruption. That is going to come clear in next several hours. But for the moment this is starting and glacier flood is to be expected in several hours. There is no danger to humans or humans structures I think.

Update 1: Darn! False alarm!

This is how the tremor plot did look after one update.


The tremor spike just changed into regular earthquake so to speak. So this is nothing but false alarm. It happens. Copyright of this picture belongs to Iceland Met Office.

Blog post updated at 09:59 UTC on 27. September 2011.

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Small eruption took place in Katla volcano in July 2011

According to the news on Rúv this evening it is now a opinion at Icelandic Met Office that a small eruption did take place in Katla volcano during the days 8 and 9 July 2011. This eruption was however larger then the eruption in Fimmvörðuháls in Eyjafjallajökull volcano last year (2010). But this is based on tremor data from around Katla volcano during this summer. But this is what Einar Kjartansson geologist at Iceland Met Office says in the news at Rúv this evening. Even if this small eruption did take place in Katla volcano it does not seems to have eased the pressure inside Katla volcano, so a large eruption in Katla volcano is still a possibility in the close future. Note: GVP has updated Katla volcano eruption status to the year 2011!

This conclusion was reached by checking out the cauldron that formed during this event. But they show a sign that they had a sudden melt taking place. But that melt can only happen of lava got into contact with the ice and fast melted it. This is also the reason why there was a 5 meters flood in Múlakvísl glacier river that did destroy the bride over it. But it is also a fact that the harmonic tremor in Katla volcano during this period was the same as that did happen during the eruption in Eyjafjallajökull volcano. The only difference was that it it was stronger from Katla volcano then in Eyjafjallajökull volcano it seems (at least from what I can see from the data). Even if it lasted for a shorter time then in Eyjafjallajökull volcano.


The tremor on Slysaalda SIL station on 9 July 2011 at 00:36 UTC. Copyright of this picture belongs to Iceland Met Office.


Alftagrof SIL station on 9 July 2011 at 00:36 UTC. Copyright of this picture belongs to Iceland Met Office.


The area that was active and had a eruption on 8 and 9 July 2011. Copyright of this picture belongs to Iceland Met Office.

Even with this small eruption it is clear that Katla volcano is not done with its eruptions. Since the large one is not yet over. When that happens is a good question and nobody has a answer too at the moment.

Note: This is also what did happen in Hamarinn volcano the week after. But I also think that volcano did have a minor eruption in July 2011. As the signatures are the same from what I can gather. So that makes three eruptions in Iceland for the year 2011 if confirmed later on.

Icelandic News with this. Use Google translate with care on it. Since it does not understand.

Allt bendir til Kötlugoss (Rúv.is, Icelandic, Picture)
Segir Kötlu hafa gosið í sumar (DV.is, Icelandic, Picture)
Lítið eldgos í Kötlu í sumar (mbl.is, Icelandic)

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Earthquakes in Katla volcano, strong sulphur smell in Múlakvísl river before the earthquake happened

This morning there has been some earthquake activity in Katla volcano. But it has also been reported in the news this morning that a really strong sulphur smell was found around 06:00 UTC on nearby farm to Múlakvísl river this morning. But this was before the earthquake did happen. I am not sure if this sulphur smell continues to be felt in the area close to Katla volcano. No changes in water hight has been detected in Múlakvísl glacier river.

The ML2.6 earthquake in Katla volcano was on 2.3 km depth. This was mostly a dike intrusion into the bedrock of the Katla volcano caldera.


The earthquake swarm this morning in Katla volcano. Copyright of this picture belongs to Iceland Met Office.


High resolution of the Katla volcano earthquake this morning. Along with correct depth and size. This picture is released under Creative Commons licence. See Licence page for more details.

As before. This is just a wait and see what is going to happen in Katla volcano as before.

Icelandic News of the sulphur smell in Múlakvísl glacier river.

Brennisteinslykt fannst við Múlakvísl í morgun (Vísir.is, Icelandic)
Brennisteinslykt við Múlakvísl (mbl.is, Icelandic)

Update 1: According the news on Rúv this activity suggests that hydrothermal activity is continuing to increase in Katla volcano caldera. But the news also says that this activity is something like that did happen from the year 2002 to the year 2004, when hydrothermal activity did increase before it started to get lower again. It is also pointed out my Matthew Roberts that Múlakvísl glacier river is sensitive to changes in Mýrdalsjökull glacier and small floods can happen without any warning in it due to increased hydrothermal activity.

Rúv news in Icelandic about this.

Bendir til aukinnar jarðhitavirkni (Rúv.is, Icelandic)

Blog post updated at 13:07 UTC, 23 September 2011.

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New earthquake swarm in Katla volcano

After few quiet days in Katla volcano. It seems that new earthquake swarm is about to start in it. But this earthquake swarm did start with a ML2.8 earthquake (automatic size) at 10:55 UTC. This earthquake have been followed by smaller earthquakes. So far there have not been many earthquakes in this earthquake swarm. But the largest earthquake took place on what I think is the fissure where the eruption in the year 1918 took place.


The earthquake swarm can be seen here. Copyright of this picture belongs to Iceland Met Office.

The largest earthquake clearly has magma signature in my opinion. As it can be seen on my geophone recording of this earthquake.


The ML2.8 earthquake. This picture is released under Creative Commons Licence. Please see licence web page for more details.


High resolution of the Katla volcano ML2.8 earthquake. The bump later on this earthquake trace is the second earthquake that only had the size ML0.9 according to the automatic size estimate. This picture is released under Creative Commons Licence. Please see licence web page for more details.

There seems to have been some type of tremor event on Goðabunga SIL station just before the earthquake. I am not sure what event this was. But it does not appear on other SIL stations around Katla volcano.


Goðabunga SIL station. Copyright of this picture belongs to Iceland Met Office.

For the moment the only thing that can be done is to wait and see what happens in Katla volcano.

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More new tremor spikes in Katla volcano

Yesterday and today there where two tremor spikes in Katla volcano. This follows a higher then normal background noise that I cannot directly trace only to wind as I did first think. What is going on is not clear, but it remains a bit of events just before the July 1999 minor eruption (suspected). But it has been speculated by scientist that event was related to inflation event deep inside Katla volcano systems. But the actual fact remains unclear. More information on the event in July 1999 can be read here (in Icelandic).

Pictures from the year 1999 of the harmonic tremor event in July that year.


The harmonic tremor spikes in July 1999 in Katla volcano. Copyright of this picture belongs to Iceland Met Office.

There was also special note on this tremor chart here from skh SIL station (now gone). But in the year 1999 this signal was most clear on Snæbýli SIL (snb). But today this signal appears to be most clear on Goðabunga SIL station and Eystri-Skógar SIL (esk) SIL station. I do not know what the difference is. But it clearly is something.


The harmonic tremor spikes in July 1999 in Katla volcano. Copyright of this picture belongs to Iceland Met Office.


The harmonic tremor spikes in July 1999 in Katla volcano. Copyright of this picture belongs to Iceland Met Office.

Please note that all earthquakes have been cleared from this old SIL tremor plots.

Current day activity in Katla volcano looks like this on the SIL stations where it is most clearly seen.


Odd spikes can be seen here on this tremor plot. I do not know what they are. Copyright of this picture belongs to Iceland Met Office.


Hard to see spikes can be seen on Goðabunga SIL station. They are the same as from Eystri-Skógar SIL station. Copyright of this picture belongs to Iceland Met Office.


Same as above. But stronger then on Goðabunga SIL station. Copyright of this picture belongs to Iceland Met Office.

It is hard to know for sure what this signals means. But I am sure that this signals are going to mean something someday. But when is hard to know.

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Earthquake swarm in Öræfajökull volcano sparks interest

The earthquake swarm in Öræfajökull volcano three weeks ago has sparked interest among volcanologist and geologists in Iceland. As the last earthquake swarm in Öræfajökull volcano was only the third earthquake swarm to take place in the last 20 years. But this was a subject of a news from Stöð 2 (Channel 2) this evening.

While a eruption is not expected any time soon from Öræfajökull volcano. It is clear that Öræfajökull volcano has started the long (?) path to a eruption (question mark, as we all know sometimes volcanoes just skip the long waiting part and go strait to the eruption phase as a surprise to everyone).

News about this from Stöð 2 (Channel 2).

Skjálftahrina í toppgíg Öræfajökuls (Vísir.is, Icelandic, Video in Icelandic, News drama)

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Two earthquake swarms during the night.

During the night there where two earthquake swarms in Iceland. One of this earthquake swarms was man made.

The larger earthquake swarm was in Hengill volcano and was man made. It happens and the hydrothermal plant pumps down cold water into the bedrock and changes the pressure and strain in the bedrock and nearby sediments that make up this area. The earthquakes only happens when cold water is being pumped down into the ground. When they are not pumping cold water into the ground, no earthquakes happens. Largest earthquakes in this man made earthquake swarm where ML2.5 and ML2.2 according to automatic measurements of Iceland Met Office. But most of the earthquakes where less then ML1.0 in size.


The man made earthquake swarm in Hengill volcano. Copyright of this picture belongs to Iceland Met Office.

The second earthquake swarm that did happen during the night was in Katla volcano. This earthquake swarm is no surprise to people how have been watching Katla volcano activity since July. This earthquake swarm in Katla volcano was however small during the night. But there did more earthquake activity in Katla volcano around 18:00 UTC yesterday. But overall it seems that Katla volcano has slowed down a bit compared to last few days.


Earthquakes in Katla volcano during the past 48 hours. Copyright of this picture belongs to Iceland Met Office.

For the moment it is rather quiet in Iceland, as there is currently not that much activity in Katla volcano. But that can change without any warning at all. As Iceland is highly active in both volcanoes and earthquakes.

Icelandic news about the earthquake activity in Hengill volcano.

Jarðskjálftar í boði Orkuveitunnar (Rúv.is, Icelandic)
Jarðskjálfti á Hellisheiði (Vísir.is, Icelandic)