Posted on by Jón Frímann

Tremor pulses in Hamarinn volcano (most likely)

During the past two weeks there have been tremor pulses in Hamarinn volcano (is claimed to be part of Bárðarbunga volcano system), at least most likely that volcano. But it might also be a volcano that I call Skrokkalda Volcano (other name might be Hágöngur volcano) (it has no entry on GVP web page, I do not know why). But given recent history I find it unlikely to be the case.

This harmonic tremors might be due to dike intrusions. I find it unlikely to be from a man made lake called Hágöngulón that is in this area. The harmonic tremor pulses look like sharp spikes on the tremor plot on the Skrokkalda SIL station.


Harmonic tremor spikes from Hamarinn volcano. Copyright of this picture belongs to Iceland Met Office.

This pattern of harmonic tremor spikes was seen all last year and all of the year 2009 from what I can remember. I do not have tremor charts from that period. But however this suggests that more magma has now started to flow into Hamarinn volcano. But there was a small volcano eruption (it seems so, given the flood that took place in July) in Hamarinn volcano last summer (summer 2011). What happens next is a good question.

This process of inflow of magma seems to without earthquakes, or close to it. I do not know why that is and I have no ideas that explain it.

637 Replies to “Tremor pulses in Hamarinn volcano (most likely)”

  1. More amateur translation (but hopefully a bit more coherent than Giggle 🙂 , from here:
    http://www.rtvc.es/noticias/confirman-una-erupci%C3%B3n-submarina-en-el-sur-de-el-hierro-78097.aspx

    A submarine eruption south of El Hierro confirmed

    Members of IGN and the directors of the Civil Protection Plan for Volcanic Risks are currently analysing the situation on the island.

    Sources close to the investigation have confirmed to the TV Canaria that a submarine volcanic erupcion occured south of El Hierro, in a zone known as Mar de las Calmas. At this time a meeting is in progress at “Cabildo insular” between representatives of IGN and the directors of the Civil Protection Plan for Volcanic Risks to analyse the situation on the island and potential consequences of the eruption.

    The submarine eruption which, according to all indicators, started this morning away from the coast of the island, is located about five kilometres from La Restinga and at about 1000m depth, but it is not impossible that other new vents will open.

    The coordinator of the team of the Superior Council of Scientific Investigation (CSIC) on the island, Alicia Garica, explained that, starting at 4:00 this morning, all stations of IGN stared to register a signal with volcanic origin, called tremor, whose amplitude has been increasing ever since.

    LA RESTINGA DETECED THE VOLCANIC SIGNAL

    The station where the observed signal was most intense was La Restinga, a small village at the southernmost point of the island of El Hierro, in a direction that the teams who monitor the terrain deformation caused by magmatic pressure already pointed out as the most possible location for an eruption.

    “This could be a start of a submarine eruptive process, situated approximately at about five kilometres from the coast and at a great depth. If this is all that hapens, we are not going to see anything else, we will only see information from the instruments”, said Alicia Garcia in a phone conversation from La Restinga.

    The team of volcanologists of CSIC, who have experience from eruptions at other parts of the planed, things that, as long as no other vent opens closer to the coast and at less deep waters, nothing will be noticeable on the surface.

    “As long as there is no emision very close to the coast, and at less than 200m depth, in principle nothing will be seen. If it starts close to the coast, then yes, an explosion or two and some material may be seen”, said Alicia Garcia.

    STATIONS MONITOR 24 HOURS

    Because of this, the investigator ensured that now the stations of El Hierro monitor constantly “24/7, until this tremor ceases, or the deformation decresas or “ambas” (?)”, which would indicate that the eruptive process has ended, “because smaller vents could open closer to the coast and at less depth.”

    “It could happen, that what we do not know is if it will happen”, said this scientist, which feels “emotional” at following what could be the first eruption in Spain since 1971, when volcanot Teneguia, at La Palma, also at Canary Islands, erupted.

  2. Muchas gracias Renato.
    My Spanish is a bit rusty and I don’t think I ever actually did translation from Spanish into English, but this is fun. 🙂

    1. Thank you Ursula, it is most apreciated.
      I understand a bit of spannish, but this is kind of beyond me.

      Good to see that someone over at the CSIC started to get ontop of things.

      1. No problem Carl. It’s kind of remarkable though that everything that they said in this article has already been discussed thorougly (and illustrated and chewed upon) at this blog! I mean, just look at what they mention: constant increase in tremor (via lurking’s graphs), location of activity, speculation about how things won’t be seen on the surface, if it stays at this depth, etc. etc. It’s almost as if these people looked here and made a summary of today’s discussion here. 😉

      3. I don’t think they are really getting on top of things. I think what we witness is the typical Spanish political mud slinging contest of he said, they said and nothing concrete ever happens – like in real life politics and the crisis we are living… I thnk they better get the people off the island. Tremor keeps increasing, and there may be more vents than just the one that currently is/isn’t erupting.
        Look here: http://www.01.ign.es/ign/head/volcaSenalesAnterioresDia.do?nombreFichero=CHIE_2011-10-10&estacion=CHIE&Anio=2011&Mes=10&Dia=10&tipo=2

    2. Thank you for this Ursula. It is appreciated. let us hope that the submarine eruption stays away from the coast and the Islanders can get on safely with their lives.

      1. You’re welcome Diana and yes, let’s hope this doesn’t disrupt life on the island.

    1. Hekla is having a bit of an unrestive phase right now. But it is not nearly as bad as it has been before.

      I am actually a bit more interested in the start of seismic activity at Lokatindur. The last one at 2.3 is quite big for that part of the Askja fissure swarm.

  6. What was the title of that Blogpost? Tremor pulse at Hamarinn… Well Jon, we have left the line quite a lot… 🙂 Good night.

    1. May your dreams be filled with feathered nude sheep dancing for you!

      I almost suggested that Jón just should change the name of the volcano in the title.

  7. Slightly OT but about the North: “Of the nations who have shown no interest in science, the most advanced are the Chinese and the Turks… the rest … [resemble] animals more than human beings. Those among them who live in the extreme North… suffered from being too far from the sun; their air is cold and their skies are cloudy. As a result, their temperament is cool and their behaviour is rude…their bodies became enormous…They have lost keenness of understanding and sharpness of perception. They were overcome by ignorance and laziness, and infested by fatigue and stupidity. [The “Book of the Categories of Nations”, 1068]

    I’ve lived on the equator and I prefer seasons. Have to agree with Carl on IMO. We have enough politician making stupid statements without scientist joining the fray.

    2. My point was not about where people live, it was merely praise over IMO.

      There is another even more un-nice description of swedes by a roman explorer…

      1. Yes, sorry meant GeoLoco’s ‘boiling hot blooded friends in the south’ which followed your IMO post. Didn’t have enough coffee today 🙂

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