Category: Swarm

Posted on

Strong Sulfur dioxide smell from Grænavatn lake and increased activity in hot springs in Krýsuvík

This is a short update.

Reports from yesterday (22-October-2020) on Stöð 2 (Channel 2) report that there is a strong smell of Sulfur dioxide from Grænavatn lake. Some increase in one hots spring in Krýsuvík volcano has been reported. That might because of change in water pathways in the crust because of the earthquake on 20-October-2020. New cracks have also formed and the earthquake caused small landslides on the coastline closest to the earthquake. The cracks in the ground are dangerous and people should not go to the coastline in this area of Iceland now. A new earthquake can happen at any time without warning.

Automatic GPS data is suggesting that in Krýsuvík volcano there has been a fast inflation of magma. I don’t think this is displacement because of the earthquake based on other nearby GPS stations.

Icelandic News

Brún Krýsuvíkurbjargs sprungin og varasöm eftir jarðskjálftana (Stöð 2/Vísir.is, pictures, video)

Posted on

Earthquake activity slowly reducing since Mw5,6 earthquake yesterday (20-October-2020)

Since yesterday (20-October-2020) the earthquake activity on the Reykjanes peninsula in the volcano Reykjanes or Krýsuvík volcano has been slowly getting down after the Mw5,6 earthquake. There have been at the writing of this article 30 earthquakes with magnitude that are larger than Mw3,0 in this area, some of those earthquakes have been felt in nearby populated areas.


The earthquake activity slightly more than 1 day later on the Reykjanes peninsula. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

At the writing of this article the number of detected earthquakes in this swarm is getting close to 2000 earthquakes. The risk of stronger earthquake both west and east of the Mw5,6 earthquake that took place yesterday. Strongest possible earthquake in this part of Iceland can reach magnitude Mw6,5 to Mw6,7 depending on location and that is only east of current earthquake activity in Brennisteinsfjöll volcano area.

According to the news, the first injury because of the Mw5,6 earthquake has been reported along with damage to a viewing place in the mountain close the location of the earthquake yesterday.

Rotaðist þegar jörðin kippt­ist und­an (mbl.is, pictures, Icelandic)

I am going to post updates soon as possible if anything more happens in this activity on Reykjanes peninsula. At the writing of this article there has not been any sign of magma movement or any sign that an eruption has taken place in this area.

Posted on

Reports of gas according to Icelandic Met Office close to Grænavatn lake after the earthquake yesterday (20-October-2020)

It was reported by Icelandic Met Office at 22:20 UTC that people had been noticing more gas smell close to a small lake called Grænavatn. This suggest that magma might be on the move in the crust. It is currently difficult to be sure at writing of this article. This would be inside the volcano of Reykjanes.


Grænavatn lake. Copyright of this image belongs to Google Earth / Google.


Earthquake activity on the Reykjanes peninsula at midnight 21-October-2020. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

At the writing of this article there has not been any change in harmonic tremor on nearby SIL stations. If magma is about to move that is possibly going to happen without much warning but this difficult to know for sure at the writing of this article.

Posted on

Earthquake on the Reykjanes peninsula – update at 18:55 UTC

This is the last update for today (20-October-2020) on this earthquake unless something major happens.

This earthquake magnitude has been confirmed at Mw5,6 mostly. It might change in next few weeks as the data is better reviewed. More then 400 earthquakes have been felt after the large earthquake and at the writing of this article largest aftershock has automatic magnitude of Mw4,1.


Location of the largest earthquake. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

Currently the main earthquake activity is moving west or south-west and that might trigger more large earthquakes in next 24 – 48 hours. Minor damage has been reported following the largest earthquake. Items falling off shelves and in stores and homes, cracks forming in walls, floors and outside in few areas. Rock slides have also been reported and closed one road on Reykjanes peninsula close to Grindavík.

News reports with pictures and videos if the main earthquakes and the damage it created

Stór sprunga í gólfi flug­skóla Keil­is (mbl.is, picture)
Skjálftinn í myndum (frettabladid.is, pictures, videos)

Added: Vörur köstuðust til og maður í górillubúningi hljóp um (Rúv.is, Video, Icelandic)


Earthquake activity on Reykjanes peninsula


The earthquake activity at 18:45 UTC on Reykjanes peninsula. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

There have not been any clear sign or any sign of magma movement in this earthquake activity at the writing of this article. It is unclear of that is going to change since the magma that has been flowing into the crust in Reykjanes volcano simply might not be pressured enough to erupt for a while longer.

Donations

Please remember to support my work with donations. I’ve been broke in October and everything helps. Thanks for the support. 🙂

Article updated at 20:06 UTC.

Posted on

Earthquake on Reykjanes peninsula – update at 14:26 UTC

This is a short update on the earthquake activity on Reykjanes peninsula. Early magnitude calculation give this earthquake a magnitude of Mw5,6 but this number might change. Large aftershock activity is expected during the next 24 hours.


The earthquake activity on Reykjanes peninsula. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

A video recording of the earthquake from Alþingi shows the effect of this earthquake.

I’ll post more details later today when I have them.

Posted on

Felt earthquake 3 km north-east of Húsavík town last night

Yesterday (17-October-2020) at 22:02 UTC an earthquake with magnitude of Mw3,3 took place 3 km north-east of Húsavík town in the Flatey – Húsavík fault. This was followed by few minor earthquakes. This earthquake was felt in Húsavík but no damage was reported from it.


The earthquake activity close to Húsavík. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

This area of the Flatey – Húsavík fault has not seen any earthquake activity until now, even if there has been a strong earthquake swarm going on in nearby areas since June 2020 . There continues to be a risk of stronger earthquakes in Tjörnes Fracture Zone.

Posted on

Earthquake activity increases in Reykjanes and Krýsuvík volcanoes

Since 15-October-2020 there has been a slow increase in small earthquakes in Reykjanes and Krýsuvík volcanoes. This earthquake activity has been followed by changes in GPS location. The GPS data can be viewed at Reykjanes CGPS website. All the earthquakes at the writing of this article are small in magnitude. Last few weeks have been quiet in Reykjanes and Krýsuvík volcanoes and that is normal for this type of volcanoes.


The earthquake activity in the volcanoes Reykjanes and Krýsuvík. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

It is not possible to know how this is going to develop since what happens depends on the amount of magma moving and what that does. It is unclear if this is inflation or deflation event taking place. It might take few days to see what that is.

Posted on

Strong earthquake activity in Flatey – Húsavík fault on Tjörnes Fracture Zone

Early morning today (6-October-2020) an large earthquake swarm took place in Flatey – Húsavík fault in Tjörnes Fracture Zone. Total of seven earthquakes with magnitude above Mw3,0 took place during the earthquake swarm this morning. Largest earthquake had a magnitude of Mw4,1 other magnitudes where smaller. Around 300 earthquakes took place during this earthquake swarm.


The earthquake activity on Tjörnes Fracture Zone. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

The largest earthquakes where felt and no damage was reported from this earthquake swarm. This earthquake swarm might be ongoing at the writing of this article. There is continued high risk of a earthquake with magnitude Mw6,0 to Mw7,0 in this area and on larger area in Tjörnes Fracture Zone because how complex the faults are in this area.

Donations

Please remember to support my work with donations. Due to hardware failures I am currently broke and that’s a problem for me in October. Thanks for the support. 🙂

Posted on

Increase in earthquake swarm east of Grímsey island during the night of 26-September-2020

During the night of 26-September-2020 the earthquake swarm that has been going on east of Grímsey island in area called Nafir increased. Total of six earthquakes with magnitude above Mw3,0 took place during the night and the largest earthquakes had a magnitude of Mw4,3. This area has a volcano that is unnamed but often called Nafir. There is no Global Volcanism Program profile on this and last eruption in this volcano is unknown. The largest earthquakes where felt in Grímsey island and other nearby populated areas. According to Icelandic news people of Grímsey island are tired of the constant earthquake activity that has been going on in Tjörnes Fracture Zone since 19th June 2020.


The earthquake activity east of Grímsey island in Nafir volcano. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

In February 2018 a magnitude Mw5,2 earthquake took place in this location. There are no sign that an eruption is about to happen with this volcano but that is difficult to be sure about. All this earthquake activity currently seems to be tectonic in nature as it is happening in a rift valley in this location. Magma movement and any eruption is going to appear clearly on Grímsey SIL station and other nearby SIL stations in north Iceland. More earthquake activity is expected in this area and current earthquake swarm is ongoing at the writing of this article.

Donations

Please remember to support my work with donations or by using Amazon banners on my website. Thanks for the support. 🙂

Posted on

Earthquake swarm east of Grímsey island

Today (25-September-2020) at 11:37 UTC an earthquake with magnitude of Mw3,7 and this earthquake started an earthquake swarm in this location for the last several hours. At the writing of this article between 80 to 90 earthquakes have taken place at this location. There are no reports about this earthquake having been felt in Grímsey island.


The earthquake swarm east of Grímsey island. This image is used with permission and copyright belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

This earthquake swarm is not connected to the earthquake activity on the western part of Tjörnes Fracture Zone. This earthquake swarm is ongoing at the writing of this article.

Donations

Please remember to support my work with donations or by using the Amazon banners on the website. Thanks for the support. 🙂