Volcano and earthquake activity in Iceland
Today (30-September 2024) at 05:35 UTC an earthquake with magnitude of Mw3,6 took place in Katla volcano. This earthquake was not felt. This earthquake happens right after a minor glacier flood from Mýrdalsjökull glacier.
There has not been any more earthquakes following this activity. Overall the activity at the writing of this article is quiet and has been so since the small eruption in July in Katla volcano. Small and large glacier flood can happen without warning from Mýrdalsjökull glacier.
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.
Glacier flood is ongoing and is going to be ongoing for next few hours. The area around Mýrdalsjökull glacier is dangerous because of this.
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.
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.
Yesterday (29. August 2023) at 23:49 an earthquake with magnitude of Mw3,7 took place in Katla volcano. This earthquake was felt on nearby camping sites and farms according to a news report. Few smaller earthquakes took place following the largest earthquake.
Nothing more happened following this earthquake, as has been the case for the last few earthquake swarms in Katla volcano. More earthquake activity can start in Katla volcano without warning.
Yesterday (23. July 2023) at 23:17 UTC an earthquake with magnitude of Mw3,5 took place in Katla volcano. This earthquake was felt to Hvolsvellir town in south Iceland.
No other earthquake or activity took place following this earthquake. Katla volcano remains quiet at the writing of this article.
Currently there’s a unusual high conductivity in Múlakvísl glacier river. There’s almost no earthquake activity in Katla volcano at the writing of this article. What is expected is that a new glacier flood might happen in next few days in Múlakvísl glacier river and other nearby glacier river possibly.
Currently there are no clear signs that Katla volcano is about to start erupting.
During the evening of 2. July 2023 at 22:57 UTC an earthquake with the magnitude of Mw3,1 took place in Katla volcano caldera. This was one of the few earthquakes that took place that evening and there has not been any more earthquake activity since then.
Since the last earthquake swarm in Katla volcano. Things have been rather quiet in Katla volcano.
This is an update on Katla volcano activity. The largest earthquakes in the earthquake swarm during the night had a magnitude of Mw4,4. There where total of eight earthquake with magnitude above Mw3,0 in this earthquake swarm and in total of 58 earthquakes in total according to Icelandic Met Office website. This earthquake activity is ongoing even if currently there are no earthquakes taking place (at the writing of this article).
This earthquake activity was clearly felt in Þórsmörk area and was resulting in people loosing sleep.
According to news reports on mbl.is there has now been increase in conductivity in Múlakvísl glacier river. This seems to be directly connected to the earthquake swarm activity that took place during the night. There is also more water in the Múlakvísl glacier river, if that is connected is unclear, because of rain in Iceland in recent days, there is general more water in rivers. Harmonic tremor has not started to change. That can happen without warning at any time.
Icelandic News
Rafleiðni fer stígandi í Múlakvísl eftir skjálfta (mbl.is)
Önnur skjálftahrina í Mýrdalsjökli (ruv.is)
During the night of 30. June 2023 an earthquake swarm started in Katla volcano. At the writing of this article the largest verified earthquake had a magnitude of Mw3,3.
This earthquake swarm is ongoing at the writing of this article. Currently an eruption has not started, if that is going to change is something that just has to show it self in next few hours if this earthquake activity continues to increase. All that can be done for now is to monitor this situation.
Today (27. June 2023) at 07:42 UTC an earthquake with magnitude of Mw3,6 took place in Katla volcano. This earthquake was part of a earthquake swarm that had started few moments earlier. There is no change in harmonic tremor at the writing of this article and earthquake activity has slowed down again. This earthquake was felt in nearby areas.
This earthquake activity seems to happen in active time periods with quiet period between them, when there are few to no earthquake activity. This activity is ongoing at the writing of this article.