Posted on by Jón Frímann

Katla volcano update at 20:10 UTC

Here goes Katla volcano again.

Earthquake activity in Katla volcano has been slowly increasing today (06-October-2016). It is not yet at the levels as it was week ago, but as Katla showed last week this change can happen rapidly and without much warning. Largest earthquake since this morning had the magnitude of 2,4 at 14:11 UTC. Other earthquakes so far have been smaller in magnitude. Other earthquakes have been smaller in magnitude.

161006_1855
The earthquake activity in Katla volcano at 18:55 UTC. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

The fact that current earthquake swarm is in a really tight location suggests that a dyke intrusion is possibly trying to drill its way out up through the crust at this location. I did see something similar before Bárðarbunga volcano erupted. It is not possible to know how long this process takes, since the crust is different between volcanoes. Then there is always the question if this process stops, at this moment I find that doubtful due how long its been going already. I’m expecting the earthquake activity in Katla volcano to increase until a new peak is reached or an eruption starts. Currently no eruption has started.

This article is going to be updated as needed.

Off-line warning

Due to hurricane Matthews there is a risk of this website going off-line from tomorrow as the hurricane hits Florida and Orlando, where this website is hosted. I will take a backup of it later today just in case. At worst some comments might be lost and even some articles (if I update the website after I take my backup).

158 Replies to “Katla volcano update at 20:10 UTC”

      1. Here: http://en.vedur.is/earthquakes-and-volcanism/earthquakes/myrdalsjokull/#view=table

        It’s the table view of Vedur’s Myrdalsjökull’s earthquake activity report.

        It seems that after some quiet days, there might be another swarm ahead again.

        I haven’t been able to follow up things so well lately…so is it my impression only or are the intervals between Katla’s earthquake swarms getting shorter? Of course, even if they were, it could very well be just a random phenomenon…

    2. That’s strange, those quakes seem to have all disappeared for me on the drumplot… anyone else seeing that?

  3. Good article (though a little speculative) in norwegian news today. Came out now since October 12. is a “marking date” for Katla. 98 years since the 1918-eruption today.

    Use google translate for transtation. Little new information, but shows some of the interrest surrounding Katla.

    Thank you for a great site Jon. Stay safe. All the best from Norway – though currently reciding in Chios, Greece 😉

    Link: http://www.tv2.no/storm/8650057/

  5. All flights out of Keflavik were temporarily halted on Wednesday. The hurricane winds and rain were blowing FOD, bags and passengers around. Not fun when you have to walk across the tarmac to board. Never mind the FOD…some flights took off during a slight break in the weather, and Katla October 12 superstition passed without incident.

    1. Hmmmm. All reports have gone quiet. I dont think if there was an imminent chance of an eruption people would be stupid enough to go up there!?

      1. Yes, yes they would. Stupid is what stupid does…

        Katla is not quiet by a long ways, when the show starts the best seats are going to be down the back.

  8. How do you know shes not quiet? Ive heard no reports for days! Is there a website i dont know about… c’mon share the wealth lol

    1. The caldera collapses as before. This will continue for a few months. 1.3 km / 3 magma has been lost. Normal the caldera lowers. Loo at the deep Jon.

      1. This earthquake activity is due to inflation (magma inflow), not because of an collapse of the caldera. That process has stopped some time ago.

  10. I have a different opinion. For me, the Kolaps earthquake. At 0 – 2 km depth no magma can move. And the great earthquakes are all at shallow, and that since the end of the eruption. But that’s just my opinion. I think a burst of Bardarbunga will no longer be seen by us.

  12. Looks like 2 quakes of 3.5 in Bardarbunga, are these just things settling or getting ready for a bigger bang?

  14. I find the quake (2.3 NNE of Skogar at a depth of 32,9 km, 99% quality) quite interesting.
    I believe Jòn said lately that he thought that quakes in that location are taking place in the root of the Eyjafjalla system, am I correct Jòn?

    1. That is a deep earthquake for this area. At this location it belongs to Eyjafjallajökull volcano, not Katla volcano. The depth is interesting, since it was thought that maximum depth for earthquakes in this part of Iceland was around 28 km, this is several km deeper than that.

      It is a question if Katla volcano is the source of this earthquake, since interactions between Katla and Eyjafjallaökull volcanoes is not well understood and in some areas not understood at all.

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