Category: Swarm

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Earthquake activity in Hamarinn volcano

Today (19-December 2024) at 12:18 UTC an earthquake with magnitude of Mw3,1 took place Hamarinn volcano. Few smaller earthquakes also followed, there was also small amount of earthquakes before the largest earthquake.

Green star in western Vatnajökull glacier, just south of Bárðarbunga volcano. This is Hamarinn volcano. Few dots showing smaller earthquakes in this area.
Green star in Hamarinn volcano. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

Last time this happened in Hamarinn volcano an eruption that lasted 6 to 8 hours happened in July 2011. When or if an eruption happens in Hamarinn volcano is impossible to know. This activity might quiet down again. If there is a ongoing increasing earthquake activity, then a eruption in Hamarinn volcano is more likely, but it is impossible to know if it is going to happen.

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Strongest earthquake in Ljósufjöll volcano since start of modern recording

Yesterday (18-December 2024) at 22:50 UTC. The strongest earthquake since modern recording started took place in Ljósufjöll volcano. This earthquake was felt in Borgarnes, Akranes and other nearby towns. Magnitude of this earthquake was Mw3,2 at depth of 18 km. The reason for this earthquake is injection of magma at depth at this location.

Green star and blue and orange dots showing the smaller earthquakes.
The earthquake activity in Ljósufjöll volcano. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

As it looks now. An eruption is unlikely to happen in Ljósufjöll volcano. In the last few months, the depth of this earthquake activity has not changed that much and continues to be at 15 to 25 km depth in this area. The crust is also thicker and more dense in this part of Iceland and that requires more magma to break up to the surface. At the writing of this article, that has not changed since this earthquake activity started. As more magma injects into this location is going to result in more earthquakes. Currently, the amount of magma in this injection seems to be minor and is unable to break a path to the surface.

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Earthquake swarm in Hofsjökull volcano

One of Iceland largest volcanoes has been having an earthquake swarm this evening on 13-December 2024. This is the Hofsjökull volcano. Largest earthquake in this swarm had a magnitude of Mw3,3 at 8,8 km depth. Other earthquakes have been smaller.

Green star and two blue dots and one yellow dot in north part of Hofsjökull volcano. The green star is located in the western part of caldera edge. Hofsjökull glacier and the volcano is on the centre on this image.
Earthquake activity in Höfsjökull volcano. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

This earthquake swarm seems to be over. However, the problem with Hofsjökull volcano is that earthquake activity often stops and then resumes several hours to days later in the same location. If that happens now I do not know.

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Magnitude Mw5,2 earthquake in Bárðarbunga volcano

During the night of 8-December 2024 at 01:49 UTC an earthquake with magnitude of Mw5,2 took place in Bárðarbunga volcano. This is a inflation related earthquake, as Bárðarbunga volcano continues to inflate from the collapse during the 2014 and 2015 eruption.

Green star in Bárðarbunga volcano, showing the largest earthquake. With lot of smaller dots in the caldera.
The earthquake activity in Bárðarbunga volcano. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

A lot of smaller earthquakes also happened before and after the main earthquake. This is not unusual, there are just more of them now. Why that happened is not clear. This is an ongoing earthquake activity in Bárðarbunga and is going last for the next 30 to 90 years in the longest. Depending on how this evolve in Bárðarbunga volcano.

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Small dyke intrusion into Sundhnúkagígar in Svartsengi volcano during the night (4-November 2024)

During the night of 4th November 2024 at 02:30 to around 03:00 UTC an small dyke intrusion took place in Sundhnúkagígar crater in Svartsengi volcano. Around 20 to 25 earthquakes took place in this minor dyke intrusion that stopped as quickly as it had started.

Dots of small earthquakes all over Reykjanes peninsula. The dots in Svartsengi volcano, in Sundhnúkagígar crater row. This group of small earthquakes is the dyke intrusion that was trying to happen during the night.
Earthquakes in Svartsengi volcano, Sundhnúkagígar crater row. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

There is a ongoing risk of more sudden dyke intrusion like this. Those can go on for hours and might not even erupt at all. A lot more earthquake activity is going to happen if such a dyke intrusion happens.

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Earthquake activity in Katla volcano

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.

Green star in the north part of Katla volcano. A long with few smaller dots showing smaller earthquakes that also happened.
Earthquake activity in Katla volcano. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

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.

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Two earthquakes in Krýsuvík-Trölladyngja volcano

Today (29-September 2024) at 17:40 and 17:43 UTC two earthquakes with magnitude of Mw3,6 and Mw3,3 took place in Krýsuvík-Trölladyngja volcano. This earthquakes where felt in Reykjavík and nearby towns.

Two green stars on top of each other along with blue and orange dots that are showing smaller earthquakes from today and last few days in the same area. Earthquakes in other areas of Reykjanes peninsula.
Earthquakes in Krýsuvík-Trölladyngja volcano. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

Earthquake activity has been increasing in last few weeks in Krýsuvík-Trölladyngja volcano. The reason for this increase is unclear at this moment.

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Earthquake with magnitude Mw5,0 in Bárðarbunga volcano

Today (3-September 2024) at 16:31 UTC an earthquake with magnitude of Mw5,0 took place in Bárðarbunga volcano. This was followed by few smaller earthquakes and there has been increased minor earthquake activity in Bárðarbunga volcano in recent days.

Green star in the east part of Bárðarbunga volcano in Vatnajökull glacier. Along with few dots that are orange in colour and mark the locations of smaller earthquakes.
Earthquake activity in Bárðarbunga volcano. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

This size of earthquake is going to happen in Bárðarbunga volcano at least once to twice a year for the next 40 to 60 years. I am not expecting an eruption in Bárðarbunga volcano until at least 2120 and no earlier then the year 2090. Until then, its going to be decades of earthquake activity like this one.

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Earthquake swarm in Krýsuvík volcano

Yesterday (25. August 2024) at 23:56 UTC an earthquake with magnitude of Mw3,6 took place in Krýsuvík volcano. This earthquake was felt in Reykjavík area and other nearby towns.

Green star just south of Kleifarvatn lake. Along with few orange dots showing the smaller earthquakes.
The earthquake activity in Krýsuvík volcano. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

This is a normal tectonic earthquake. I don’t know if it is a response to stress changes because of Svartsengi volcano cycle of inflation and deflation. This earthquake swarm seems to be over for now.

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Update on the eruption in Svartsengi on 23. August 2024 at 17:39 UTC

This is a short update on the eruption in Svartsengi volcano. This information might go outdated quickly.

  • The eruption is now on a 2 km long fissure. It is located just north of Stóra Skógfell. This is the most north part of the eruption fissure so far. Total length of the eruption fissure is 7 km, but most parts of it have stopped erupting.
  • The eruption can be seen from Reykjanesbraut on the way to Keflavík or Keflavík airport.
  • It is impossible to know how long this eruption is going to last. But harmonic tremor is already dropping and has been doing that since around 06:00 this morning. This eruption might last a day or it might last a month, at current time it is impossible to know.
  • Icelandic Met Office lost a seismometer (Litla Skógarfell) and a GPS station under lava in this eruption. So far, its only two stations. Since one (Norðurljósavegur) GPS station had been moved out of harms way earlier in August.
  • Largest earthquakes had the magnitude of Mw4,1 and Mw3,3. The larger one was just off Fagradalsfjall volcano and the smaller one was in Keilir mountain. The larger one was felt in Reykjavík and nearby areas.

This eruption can change without warning. If anything worth reporting happens. I’ll write a new article about what is going on.