Magma – Page 62 – Iceland geology

November 4, 2015November 4, 2015

Earthquake swarm in Bárðarbunga volcano

Today (4-November-2015) a earthquake swarm took place in Bárðarbunga volcano. This is now almost a weekly feature in the Bárðarbunga volcano system. This is suggesting that magma pressure inside Bárðarbunga volcano is currently increasing at rather fast phase. If and when this might start a new eruption is impossible to know. Largest earthquake in this swarm had the magnitude of 3,1.

Earthquake activity in Bárðarbunga volcano. Copyright of this image belongs to Iceland Met Office.

I’m expecting this earthquake activity to continue for some time now. At least until a new eruption occurs in Bárðarbunga volcano, since the rifting process that started all this has not ended and this is going to last few more years.

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Article updated at 23:14 UTC.

November 2, 2015

Overview of week 44 activity in Iceland

This is a short overview of activity in week 44 in Iceland.

Tjörnes Fracture Zone (TFZ)

Earthquake swarm took place in TFZ in week 44. Largest earthquake had the magnitude of 3,5 and other earthquakes had the magnitude of 3,1. Other earthquakes where smaller in magnitude.

Earthquake swarm on the TFZ. Largest earthquake swarm took place where the green stars are. Copyright of this image belongs to Iceland Met Office.

A second smaller earthquake swarm took place south of Grímsey. It is not connected to the stronger earthquake swarm east of Grímsey island.

Bárðarbunga volcano

A magnitude 3,0 earthquake took place in Bárðarbunga volcano. This suggests increased pressure inside Bárðarbunga volcano. I forgot to save image of last week activity in Bárðarbunga volcano.

Tungnafellsjökull volcano

Earthquake activity continues in Tungnafellsjökull volcano. As before all of the earthquakes taking place are small in magnitude. At the moment the earthquake swarm activity appears to be centered around the top of the volcano, one of the main craters. Earthquake activity is steady in Tungafellsjökull volcano at the moment. It sometimes drop down, as is to be expected when magma moves inside volcano.

Earthquake activity in Tungnafellsjökull volcano. Copyright of this image belongs to Iceland Met Office.

Skaftárkatlar cauldrons in Vatnajökull glacier

Recent survey of Skaftárkatlar cauldrons in Vatnajökull glacier has shown that the eastern cauldron has grown considerable in size. This is now thought to be the main reason why the glacier flood from eastern skaftárkatlar cauldron was the largest in recorded history. The cauldron is now 2,5 sq/km in size and 150 meters deep. Video of the overflight can be found here (Facebook). Measurements and other details can be found here at University of Iceland Earth science website (Icelandic). This are early results from recent survey.

Other things

Please remember to support my work with donations or by using Amazon. Due to problems with the Danish tax authorities I did not get my social welfare paid out this month in Iceland. Reason being that I have not got my copy of the tax statement for the year 2014, that I have . I hope this is resolved in November as has been promised to me. This however means that I have to use the salary for last months work to survive this month, money that I was saving in order to pay for moving cost when I move back to Denmark. If this is not resolved by December, I have to go on emergency income from my municipality. I won’t move to Denmark until this issue with the Danish tax is resolved. The temporary work that I was in is over so I’m going to be updating now when things happen in Iceland or close to it.

Once I’m back in Denmark I can start uploading detailed images of earthquakes and keep a real time watch about what is going on in Iceland. Its difficult for me to do that at the moment.

September 24, 2015

Increased activity in Tungnafellsjökull volcano

This is going to be short update on the activity in Tungnafellsjökull volcano. I just don’t have the time to write long article about it, doing so takes up to two hours to write. A time that I just don’t have at the moment due to work (and school) tomorrow.

Today (23-September-2015) there has been a sharp increase in earthquake activity in Tungnafellsjökull volcano. Largest earthquake so far had the magnitude of 3,0. Other earthquakes have been smaller in magnitude. Most of the earthquakes that have been taking place are shallow, but all of them (at least that appear on my geophones) are appearing to be long-period earthquakes. Suggesting that magma created them, rather than tectonic forces in the crust.

The earthquakes in Tungnafellsjökull volcano. Copyright of this image belongs to Iceland Met Office.

It is the official view of the Iceland Met Office that this activity is due to tectonic stresses in the volcano, due to adjustment of Bárðarbunga volcano. This is true, that is not the whole story in my view. Some of the earthquakes taking place in Tungnafellsjökull volcano are due to tectonic adjustment of the crust (stress changes). What adds complexity to this image is the fact that magma is involved in Tungnafellsjökull volcano, the problem that since there are no documented eruptions from Tungnafellsjökull volcano, it’s impossible to know for sure what happens before an eruption in it. If the current influx of magma results in an eruption is difficult to say for sure, at the moment I don’t rule it out. It is my view that there is now more chance, rather than less of an eruption in Tungnafellsjökull volcano.

September 22, 2015

Earthquake activity in Katla volcano

Today (22-September-2015) there was an swarm of earthquakes in Katla volcano at shallow depth. Largest earthquake had the magnitude of 3,3 with the depth of 0,1 km. The earthquake looks long period from the looks of my geophone at low resolution (I will get the higher resolution back when my main earthquake computer is back on-line). Other earthquakes in this swarm were smaller in magnitude.

The earthquake activity in Katla volcano. Copyright of this image belongs to Iceland Met Office.

Last week there was a swarm of earthquakes at 15 – 24 km depth (about) in Katla volcano. I did notice it and monitored it, I didn’t evolve into anything serious so I didn’t write about it. I don’t think the two activities are directly connected. This might be changes to the hydrothermal systems in the volcano or just normal activity for Katla volcano. At the moment I don’t see any changes in the volcano it self, even if there is deep earthquake activity taking place. For the moment, there is nothing to worry about.

September 21, 2015September 21, 2015

Increased activity in Bárðarbunga and Tungnafellsjökull volcanoes

I don’t have the time or the energy to write a long article about what is going on in Bárðarbunga and Tungnafellsjökull volcanoes. What I do know is that magma appears to be pressuring Tungafellsjökull volcano, creating earthquakes, the largest earthquakes so far have reached magnitude 2,9. Other earthquakes have been smaller. Some of the earthquakes appear volcanic in nature based on what I’m seeing on my geophones (at poor resolution at the moment).

In Bárðarbunga volcano there has also been earthquake activity today. I don’t know yet if its due to inflation or deflation of the magma system in Bárðarbunga volcano. Largest earthquake today (21-September-2015) had the magnitude of 3,2. Other earthquakes have been smaller, this earthquake activity has been small so there is a chance this does not mean anything yet.

The earthquake activity in Bárðarbunga and Tungnafellsjökull volcanoes. Copyright of this image belongs to Iceland Met Office.

The activity in Tungnafellsjökull volcano is likely to continue and might increase. I’m not sure what happens in Bárðarbunga volcano at the moment.

Working schedule: In September and until end of October I’m working Monday to Friday from 07:00 – ?? (Monday/Wednesday/Friday) and 10:00 – ?? (Tuesday/Thursday). Due to the nature of the work (its a slaughterhouse work) I don’t have my mobile phones with me and therefor I don’t know what is going on if anything happens. The longest days are now in process and are going to last until second or third week of October I think.

September 12, 2015September 12, 2015

Something is going on in Hamarinn (Bárðarbunga) and Tungnafellsjökull volcanoes

Today (11-September-2015) an earthquake swarm started in Hamarinn volcano (no GVP profile, see Bárðarbunga volcano). This is a volcano that is inside Bárðarbunga volcano fissure swarm and might be connected to it, that connection is unclear, but historical data suggests that once Bárðarbunga volcano gets erupting sometimes Hamarinn volcano does too. There is a similar pattern in Grímsfjall volcano and Þórðarhyrna volcano (no GVP profile) as an another example.

Current sequence of earthquakes in Hamarinn volcano started with a small earthquake at 22,5 km depth. Few shallower earthquakes happened before that event, those earthquakes however might be connected to changes in hydrothermal systems in the volcano, rather then something else. The deep earthquake that took place started a series of smaller earthquakes at shallower depth, suggesting that pressure is already high inside the volcano, how close it might be to erupting is impossible to know, but the clues that I’m not seeing do not look good. This might die out, but I think the chance of that are small. Last eruption in Hamarinn volcano took place in July-2011, I wrote about it here, here and here.

Current area of activity in Hamarinn volcano. This area is covered with a thick glacier up to 300 – 400 meters. Copyright of this image belongs to Iceland Met Office.

Harmonic tremor data is showing that current earthquake activity are low and long period earthquakes (green and red spikes). I also noted that on this image a harmonic tremor spike can be seen on the green band. It does not appear visible on the red and blue bands. I’m unclear on why this is. Copyright of this image belongs to Iceland Met Office.

The harmonic tremor spike does not appear on the SIL station Skrokkalda. I don’t know why that is. Earthquake activity appears clearly on it (spikes). Copyright of this image belongs to Iceland Met Office.

Activity in Tungafellsjökull volcano

There has been interesting earthquake activity in Tungafellsjökull volcano today. Today earthquake swarm started with the depth of 12,3 km and it mostly stayed there. Suggesting that magma dyke injections are taking place in the volcano at the moment. If and when this might lead to an eruption is impossible to know. Magma might be at shallower depth already due to high activity during the eruption in Bárðarbunga volcano.

The earthquake activity in Tungafellsjökull volcano, it’s located north of both Bárðarbunga and Hamarinn volcano (NE of Hamarinn). Current activity is a small cluster of earthquakes in north-east part of Tungafellsjökull volcano. Copyright of this image belongs to Iceland Met Office.

Largest earthquake in this swarm so far had the magnitude of 1,9. It was also the shallowest earthquake in this swarm. So far no change on the surface of Tungnafellsjökull volcano, meaning that no hydrothermal vents have appeared so far. That might not happen since formation of hydrothermal vents does not always happen before an eruption.

August 25, 2015November 18, 2017

Earthquake in Kerlingafjöll volcano

Kerlingafjöll volcano (no GVP profile) did have a earthquake today (25-August-2015). This was just one earthquake. Not of any special magnitude. Earthquakes are rare in Kerlingafjöll volcano and they don’t have any known historical eruptions. This one earthquake had the magnitude of 2,2 and depth of 11,1 km.

A rare earthquake in Kerlingafjöll volcano. Kerlingafjöll volcano are located south-west of Hofsjökull volcano. Copyright of this image belongs to Iceland Met Office.

Earthquakes appear to be extremely rare in Kerlingafjöll volcano. There were no earthquakes during the large earthquakes in 2000 and 2008 from SISZ due to stress changes that follows such large earthquakes. Since I started monitoring earthquakes in the current form this is the first earthquake I’ve seen in Kerlingafjöll volcano and that is over 9 year period. In that time, it is worth noting more SIL stations have been added, making the network more sensitive to smaller earthquakes around Hofsjökull volcano.

Missing person

Body of person unknown was found in Iceland on 17-August-2015. The remains where of a male that was 186cm, with blond/white shoulder long hair, in a hood that had “quicksilver” written on it. He was also wearing a shoe that had a star on the side. According to latest news the police now believe this might be a young French man that did come to Iceland in the summer of 2014, he did go to Höfn í Hornafirði in October-2014 (date unknown). He never left Iceland. This is being investigated by authorities in Iceland in cooperation with authorities in France. If you have any details or more information please contact the police in Iceland here. Latest Icelandic news about this can be found here in Icelandic.

Article updated at 22:36 UTC.

August 18, 2015

Deep earthquake activity in Katla volcano

Yesterday (17-August-2015) a swarm of small earthquakes took place in Katla volcano. This type of activity has been happening place this summer and has been happening for several years now. The reason for this is that magma is pushing or moving in the magma chamber of Katla volcano.

Earthquake activity in Katla volcano, the cluster of earthquakes is the deep earthquake activity. Copyright of this image belongs to Iceland Met Office.

The dept of this earthquake swarm was around 27 – 18 km. Meaning it was taking place deep inside the magma chamber of Katla volcano. No other activity has been detected at Katla volcano today. This type of earthquake activity might continue for next few days to weeks.

August 16, 2015August 16, 2015

Bárðarbunga volcano one year ago

One year ago activity in Bárðarbunga volcano was increasing, the week before a constant earthquake swarm had been taking place in the volcano. I had planned to write about that earthquake swarm that had been taking place, that never happened due to sudden increase in Bárðarbunga volcano the day that I had planned on writing about the earthquake swarm (I don’t have that image, I think, at least I can’t find it, I possibly did not save it due to me forgetting doing so).

The earthquake activity in Bárðarbunga volcano at 11:45 UTC on 16-August-2014. This was just the start. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

It was clear that on 16-August-2014 that something was going on when I looked at the harmonic tremor plot at Iceland Met Office website. It was going crazy. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

It was clear when looking at the harmonic tremor plot that something was going on and what was happening was big.

Green stars numbers increased as the time passed on the map, so did the magnitude and number of the earthquakes in Bárðarbunga volcano. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

When 25-August-2014 came the number of earthquakes taking place in Bárðarbunga volcano was in the thousands and earthquakes with magnitude 3,0 and larger was in the hundreds.

Earthquake activity in Bárðarbunga volcano on 25-August-2015. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

The largest earthquake that happened before the eruption started took place on 26-August-2014, it had the magnitude of 5,7 and is the largest earthquake in Iceland since 2008.

The earthquake activity in Bárðarbunga volcano on 26-August-2015. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

The magnitude 5,7 earthquake on my geophone in Böðvarshólar. This image is under Creative Commons License. Please see CC license page for more details.

The magnitude 5,7 earthquake on my geophone in Heklubyggð. This image is under Creative Commons License. Please see CC license page for more details.

Once the eruption started in Bárðarbunga volcano by the end of August-2014 most of the earthquake activity stopped, it did continue with one to three magnitude five or larger earthquakes in Bárðarbung volcano caldera as it collapsed due the magma outflow in Holuhraun eruption area. That earthquake activity continued until end of February, when the eruption was just about the end in Holuhraun.

Early signs of what was about to happen in Bárðarbunga volcano

It is difficult to know for sure what are the early signs in Bárðarbunga volcano until after an eruption has started. One of the few clues that I know about was earthquake activity like this one. It was considered a normal earthquake activity for Bárðarbunga volcano, there is a good chance that it was a activity telling scientist that Bárðarbunga volcano was about to erupt soon.

Earthquake activity in Bárðarbunga volcano on 16-May-2014. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

It is difficult at best to know if an volcano is about to erupt or not. Clues are also difficult to see since the process of why and how eruption happens is often hard to see when data is missing, as is the case with volcanoes with long period of quiet.

Status of Bárðarbunga volcano at the moment

Currently there isn’t a lot happening in Bárðarbunga volcano. However, based on earlier historical record it is clear that current eruption activity in Bárðarbunga volcano is possibly not over yet. There is a good chance of new eruptions over the next time period of 10 – 15 years. The time between eruptions is everything from 1 year and up to 10 years (about). Quiet period in Bárðarbunga volcano can last up to 100 years, the current one that ended in 2014 lasted good 104 years. Where and when next eruption is going to take place in Bárðarbunga volcano is anyone guess, all that I know for sure is that it is going to happen and next eruption might be as big as the one in Holuhraun that ended six months ago.

July 28, 2015

Summer earthquake activity in Katla volcano

For the past few days there has been summer earthquake activity in Katla volcano. None of the earthquake have reached magnitude 2,0 so far.

Earthquake activity in Katla volcano. Copyright of this image belongs to Iceland Meteorological Office.

This earthquake activity appears to be normal in Katla volcano for the moment. The reason for this activity is melting of the glacier, that means less weight on the volcano, less pressure means changes to the hydrothermal activity inside the caldera of Katla volcano. It can be expected that this earthquake activity is going to continue for a while, at least until October at the longest, or to the time when it starts to snow again in Iceland.

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