Posted on by Jón Frímann

Eruption update at 21:29 UTC

This information is going to go outdated quickly.

This is the current information about the eruption in Bárðarbunga volcano.

Please note: Since I cannot go to the area that is erupting my self (it is closed and I also live in Denmark at the moment). I have to relay on what is being told in the news and released by Icelandic Met Office along with other data. This means that I spend most of the day collecting data and working out what is going on (my view in most cases). This means that in most cases I write post late in the day when daily observation is done.

Current status of the eruption in Bárðarbunga volcano

  • New fissure did open around 2 – 3 km south of the eruption fissure that started erupting 31-August-2014.
  • Comments on this website did notice the eruption around 04:00 UTC on 05-September-2014. At the same time there was an minor increase in harmonic tremor on SIL stations close to the eruption.
  • The new eruption fissure is around 1 – 2 km long. It might get longer as time passes.
  • The new eruption was first reported by the press around 06:00 – 08:00 on Rúv.
  • New cauldron has formed some 6 km in Dyngjujökull glacier. The  glacier in the that area is 300 to 350 meters thick. Last report was that this cauldron was getting deeper during the day.
  • Higher conductivity has been reported in Jökulsá á fjöllum glacier river. That is currently continuing on that last check I did on Icelandic Met Office website.
  • Smell of rotten eggs is now coming from Jökulsá á fjöllum. Normally there is no such smell of that glacier river.
  • Inflation in the dyke continues, not on the same speed as before, but it is ongoing.
  • The rift valley appears to continue expand were he is visible.
  • The air around the eruption site is toxic due to release of SO2, CO, CO2, fluorine gases and other dangerous gases.
  • The water vapour cloud goes up to 4,5 km according to latest measurements.
  • The SO2 goes the way of the wind direction at any given time.
  • The lava field has just 1 km to Jökulsá á fjöllum glacier river. Once the lava enters the river it might start to build a dam and the lava is going to explode and steam a lot in the process.
  • Largest earthquake since midnight was magnitude 5,3 that took place at 01:19 UTC. It took place in Bárðarbunga volcano caldera rim. As other large earthquakes since this events started.
  • Largest earthquake in the dyke area took place at 14:31 UTC and had the magnitude of 3,2. It was under the glacier were most earthquake activity is now taking place.
  • Volcano eruption with ash cloud is now expected to take place. When and exactly where it is going to take place is not known at current time. I don’t think it going to have effects on international flight. But the local effects might be big if wind is in the direction of populated areas of Iceland.

GPS inflation

DYNC_3mrap.svd.05.09.2014.at.20.56.utc
GPS measurements of the inflation that is currently taking place in the dyke. More GPS data can be found here. Copyright of this image belongs to University of Iceland.

Magma continues to flow into the dyke. It is at slower rates than before, but it still flowing into the dyke at rates that current eruption is not powerful enough to equal or drop the pressure inside the dyke. This is going to result in more eruptions as we have already started to see. When and where they are going to take place is something that is not known.

The eruption area is closed to the public

Due to risk of dangerous gases and flood the eruption area is closed to the public. Anyone that is found within the closed zone is going to get heavy fine. Going to this area is also extremely risky sine the area that is now eruption is extremely unstable with the risk of new eruption opening up without warning in the fault area and even outside it (if there is a weakness in the crust the magma is going to go that way). Police in Iceland have already spotted and fined two cars that were trying to enter the closed off area. This area of Iceland is also out in the middle of nowhere. The town is up to 10 hours away in a car (due to bad roads). Weather is also extremely unpredictable and can change without warning. So if you are thinking about going on car or foot. Don’t go!

The good news is that it is still allowed to fly over the area. So get one of those tours. I don’t know what they cost, but I know they take place if weather allows.

News bits

Arrested near the Holuhraun eruption (Rúv.is)
See the lava creeping forward at Holuhraun (Rúv.is, video)
The powers at play beneath the surface (Rúv.is, video)

More news in English can be found here (Rúv.is).

Updates for 06-September-2014

  • As noted by many here there is now news report on how much Bárðarbunga volcano has lowered since 16-August-2014. Bárðarbunga volcano has lowered some 15 meters according to latest measurements. This does not reduces the risk of eruption in Bárðarbunga caldera, in fact, this might increase it by a large margin. Such large drop in a mountain has not happened in Iceland since Askja 1875 when that volcano dropped some 300 meters in one of the largest eruption in the 19th century. According to the news on Rúv the caldera crust is in fact floating the magma that is keeping it up. Part of that magma is now erupting just north of Dyngjökull glacier.
  • Magnitude 5,0 earthquake took place in Bárðarbunga volcano at 05:40 UTC. It was in the NE Bárðarbunga in the caldera rim.
  • The risk of large eruption in Bárðarbunga volcano has increased due the current activity and drop of the caldera (as explained above). When such eruption would take place is impossible to know at this time.
  • The lava field is now just 900 meters from Jökulsá á Fjöllum glacier river. It is going to get into contact with the main stream sometimes in the next 24 hour period.
  • The activity in the new eruption fissure has decreased a little over the past 24 hours. It is now only erupting in one or two craters at the moment.
  • There is high risk of new fissures opening in the rift valley without warning. Both outside the glacier and below it. If an eruption takes place under the glacier there is going to be sudden glacier flood that is going to hit without warning.
  • Possible minor eruption might have happened under Dyngjökull glacier in last few days. As there have been cauldron formations in it. One of the cauldron is some 6 km from the glacier edge. The deepest cauldron is 35 meter deep according to radar measurements.
  • A new cauldron was also found some 10 km from the edge of Dyngjujökull glacier. This suggest that minor eruption took place there in past few days.
  • Blue mist has been seen today in east Iceland. It is not clear what is happening, but there are clues that this blue mist is connected to the eruption. Sensors to measure this blue mist have been sent to east Iceland. This blue mist can also be seen on satellites that Icelandic Met Office uses for weather measurements.

News bits for 06-September-2014

Rannsaka bláa móðu á Austurlandi (Rúv.is, picture of the blue mist, Icelandic)
Eldstöðvarnar í Holuhrauni – Myndband (Rúv.is, Icelandic, video)

Updates for 07-September-2014

  • Earthquake with the magnitude of 5,4 took place at 07:07 UTC. This earthquake took place in the caldera rim as other earthquakes in Bárðarbunga volcano.
  • The flow of magma is currently 100 to 200 m³ every second.
  • The new fissure has stopped erupting according to latest news.
  • There is a high risk of new fissure opening up in the erupting area without warning.
  • The lava field has reached Jökulsá á Fjöllum glacier river. This is going to increase conductivity in the river as the lava goes more into the glacier river. There is a lot of steam cloud being created following this. It is not clear when the lava field is going to dam the glacier river.
  • There are now only 2 – 3 craters erupting in the main erupting fissure. The power of the eruption remains the same.
  • Earthquake activity continues south of current eruption. Most of the earthquake activity now is taking place in the glacier, where minor eruptions have been taking place in past few days.
  • There is no sign of this activity is about to end.
  • Bárðarbunga volcano caldera continues to sink. There is a lack of earthquakes in the caldera it self. That suggest the heat below the crust is high enough to make the crust soft and that prevents earthquakes from happening. More on this tomorrow (Monday).

News bits on 07-September-2014

100 – 200 rúmmetrar úr jörðu á sekúndu (Rúv.is, video, Icelandic)
Svona hefur Bárðarbunga sigið (Rúv.is, picture of the lowering of Bárðarbunga caldera, Icelandic)

Article updated at 14:04 UTC on 06-September-2014.
Article updated at 14:11 UTC on 06-September-2014.
Article updated at 18:16 UTC on 06-September-2014.
Article updated at 18:18 UTC on 06-September-2014.
Article updated at 18:29 UTC on 06-September-2014.
Article updated at 19:43 UTC on 06-September-2014.
Article updated at 14:52 UTC on 07-September-2014.

480 Replies to “Eruption update at 21:29 UTC”

  2. About my question on the missing earthquake on 3dBulge, it has been added. It was a 4.2 EQ located in the caldeira 6.6km deep 3 hours ago. So I guess 3dBulge isn’t updated just in time.

  3. I think that has happened a few times, I don’t know if there system is working properly.

  4. So , i am not seeing any noble gases in the samples.

    I understand a couple twitter folks from BGS are on-site now with spectro’s, but would have expected SOME of the samples to show some argon.

    http://earthice.hi.is/bardarbunga_2014

    AFAIK, argon emissions are the only precursor other than gps and strain , that still has a chance of being a predictor for quakes.

  6. Long time lurker, first time post
    Thanks for the very informative blog John
    I wish we had something like this closer to home,
    its struggling to even rain enough at the moment.

    Hi D R What is this IVON plotter you talk about and what does it show?
    Thanks Chris

  7. Mila 1…stunning, with the orange glow on the clouds.
    We all have our hopes and scenario’s that maybe played out, but nature cant be tamed. All the geologists, even the most knowledgeable ones can only guess. And in a 1000 years, they’ll still be guessing. Thats what keeps people like us glued to updates and webcams?

  8. Over at VC, i asked , and they provided

    Topo with the quake turn on the 16th.
    Wondered if the quakes there took down the caldera wall to allow water to make it to Grivsvotten

    a real beauty, here is the large version. by RC and AuroraLight

    http://vorklift.com/volcano/Screen%20Shot%202014-09-06%20at%207.16.51%20PM.png

    and

    https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3847/14973901319_28b5a16037_o.jpg

    Thanks guys !

    from this thread
    http://volcanocafe.wordpress.com/2014/09/06/changes-in-bardarbunga-caldera/comment-page-3/#comment-148218

    1. THANK YOU JON, THAT WAS COOL. ALSO, THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK YOU DO ON THIS SITE. I HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING YOU FOR YEARS.

    2. These occurrences are usually a sign of a coming conflagration,heat goes to cold,the Crack of Krakatoa was the sound of the ocean rushing in to the mantle,not saying this will be silent,but a glacier is to ocean as bardarbunga is to cam2

      1. a sign of what ? hehe,. Whirlwinds are created by , rising hot air, warm moist air from south,and colder drier airmasses from north,mixing with windshear, and sinking air from above and you will have a tornado(whirlwind).
        This one we see on the cam, is the same type of whirlwinds as firenados, and are caused by the hot warm air rising up, and meeting the colder airmasses, and are spun up by the windshear .

      2. These whirlwinds are created by strong horizontal temp gradients close to the surface, ie: lava vs soil. They are not connected to the mechanisms in the cloud. Windshear and airmass clashes apply to Cumulonimbus organisation, tornadogenesis is a much more complex thing. These ones near the lava are akin to dust-devils, just like on fair weather cumulus days, and relate to the near-surface mechanics of tornadoes but are baby cousins by comparison.

  11. So I’d been assuming the lava was going to reach the river to the west, but it may well reach the river to the east first, the way the lava is spreading, which might mean we’ll see explosions or at least big steam clouds in the foreground of the cams.

  12. If the eruption keeps going long enough (you never know) for the lava field to reach (& enter) the river, i’m assuming this will form pseudocraters.
    But probably not as large as the ones at Myvatn.

  14. IS it possible the E/Q’s in the caldera area are the results of the intrusion of melt water and the rapid expansion of condensable properties and cooling effects involved,Not a scientist,just a welder,fascinated by hot stuff

    1. I think you could be right. I think the caldera is getting attacked by high pressure melt water from the base of the glacier and fracking the rocks as heat from beneath rises and comes in contact. Every time this happens the plug is weakened, I can’t see this as a stable situation and am personally quite concerned about it. Are some still saying this could all just stop?

  16. Mike, please stop posting random shit here. If you don’t I am going to add you the “comments go directly to the spam bin”. I am also going to remove some of your comments, don’t worry. I have a copy stored in a safe place if issue arise from this.

  17. zyfly. I have to delete one of your comment, since it was a sub-comment of a deleted comment. WordPress has poor comment management so there isn’t a lot I can do about this.

  18. I am seeing a lot of steam / water vapour on Bárðarbunga 1 camera. I guess the lava has entered the river by now or is close to it. I’ve will see what is going on when day comes were the lava is and how much it has progress during the night.

  23. Is that a new fissure in center of bar 1 cam? Just got back from dinner and hadn’t seen it before.

  26. Jon just wanna say Thank you for all the updates. I have been having a lot of trouble connecting to the mila webcams these past few days but tonight I was able to see a lot . It’s quite beautiful. Question? With the sinking going on what does that mean?? Could there be underground ice that is melting possibly causing the sinking?? Also where can I register for your blog so I don’t have to go through the anti spam test

    1. You find it at the right side between some advertises.
      “Meta” and then “Register”.

  28. Are you guys able to access Mila cams today? I’m having no luck at all, except I can view a live stream thru Youtube.

      2. Saw that too. Maybe not a new vent but water interaction like you said. Faded after a bit. I’m still hoping for a rootless cone or two, just because they’re a bit mind-boggling. I wish we could see over the lip of Vaðalda (the mountain where the cams are) to see what’s going on down there. Well, I’m sure there will be a flood (no pun intended) of pictures and video soon.

  32. Lava fountain is amazing just now, biggest I’ve seen it, and that’s with the lights on.

  33. Just to give a perspective on the current heavy earthquake activity over the past month around Bárðarbunga. This image shows all the Earthquakes in and around iceland since 1960 recorded by EMSC/CSEM

    img src=”http://http://static2.emsc.eu/Images/EVID/39/398/398815/398815.wide.seismicity.jpg” alt=”emsc eartquakes” /

    source – http://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/earthquake.php?id=398815#

    1. Yep, looks like it, I think we witnessed a bit of an explosion earlier from the contact with water as we could see orange.

      Suggests this lava does not react well with water.
      oops, I sound negative all the time! but just saying it as I see it.

  36. If there are high so2 levels due to volcanic activity, would setting up trays of crushed limestone in each room of the home help to reduce the levels?

      3. Strange that some of these bigger quakes just don’t seem to appear on the IMO website….

      5. Yes I thought that as well but there have been some over Mag 5 posted yesterday and yet the biggest I can see on the IMO website was a Mag 5 at 0540 and 3 of Mag 4+

      7. USGS showing that recent large quake. IMO should explain why they are not.

        http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/#{%22feed%22%3A%221day_m25%22%2C%22search%22%3Anull%2C%22sort%22%3A%22newest%22%2C%22basemap%22%3A%22grayscale%22%2C%22autoUpdate%22%3Atrue%2C%22restrictListToMap%22%3Atrue%2C%22timeZone%22%3A%22local%22%2C%22mapposition%22%3A[[60.45721779774397%2C-27.158203125]%2C[66.93006025862448%2C-0.439453125]]%2C%22overlays%22%3A{%22plates%22%3Atrue}%2C%22viewModes%22%3A{%22list%22%3Atrue%2C%22map%22%3Atrue%2C%22settings%22%3Afalse%2C%22help%22%3Afalse}}

      8. @hyper One of the reasons I got from a geologist is that IMO is more focussed on the smaller quakes which makes the automatic detection of the larger difficult. Hand-curation of the data makes them visible. For the USGS this is easier, as they only see the strong ones.

  38. LOL.

    Why the delay at IMO. Is it for the same reason we have 5 second delays on live TV broadcasts, so if something happens it can be hidden before broadcast.

    1. Apologies all, it did verify as 5.4 as you rightly say. The time delay is that IMO are manually checking every quake (against numerous helicorders) over 2.0 (I think) at the moment as the magnitude and depth are critical to understanding what is happening here.

      1. If they are manually checking, then I can’t really complain, in fact they are doing a good job. Collecting and processing data is essential, well done all who is doing so. That includes you Jón.

  39. I suspect that it is now sagging. an underground tunnel river of lava (a pipe) when it really collapses and a supply of lava close slipping. would the current fissure eruption could stop. thereon resulting in a pressure build-up and confirmation record massive increase in earthquakes. Once that’s a fact. there would be a concentrated burst can take place closer or above the source, and that is in the volcano itself. Again I am a Hobbyist and implement it with my experience and feeling.

  40. Botho Strauss, a German playwright and essayist once said ‘The universe is full of everyone’s everyday vomited, the minutes of a global communication incontinence’.
    Wise words that fit on many comments in this blog.
    There are simply too many unimportant things written here.
    My two cents.

    1. With all due respect hamburger, you have just contributed! As a long time lurker I find this blog informative and enjoyable. I was taught in university that there is no such thing as a daft question! with this in mind all comments on here are of value, especially when people are seeking to understand and improve their knowledge! Even if someone’s theory/comment is off mark then the value of having someone of knowledge to assist is awesome, especially without comments such as yours! If you can’t say something nice
      , don’t say anything at all 🙂

    2. Comments like yours would probably be the subject of your quote.

      Show a little respect, will you?

    3. It’s like public viewing the Football Worlcup: everyone has something to say about player x or the referee – and noone knows how the play will end. A little chatter noone hurts and if something happens we can all say wow! Real analyze not excluded…

    4. Another wise man said: Gemstones are found lying in the rubble.
      It is up to you to pick them out. 🙂

  41. The irony of which is what you have just said fits that bill! You know where the door is if it’s not to your liking…

    1. What I like about Jon’s site is that everyone is allowed to comment without being pulled apart as we are only human and some of us including myself learn so much and if we ask a stupid question we are not ridiculed.

      Some other sites have no time for people who they deem are not brainy enough for their liking or they do not like what they post and in way ridicule them .

      To Hamburger I suggest you move over to one of these sites .

  42. I have learned so much, Jon, thank you. The tone of the comments is changing a bit, but that’s a side effect, I think. Most of us are (over) excited, have too little sleep maybe, and have been following everything for quite some time now. So keep cool and friendly, long way to go.

  43. I’ve seen the occasional tip of a white steam cloud at the edge of the foreground to the right of the vehicle on B 1, and wish we could see more of the interaction between lava and the river.

  44. Hi janet. In reply to ur comment….I am, as the name suggests a complete novice. But through this site ( and a book written for a 12 year old) ive learnt enough to make me realise at the grand old age of 51 I want to return to study. And im starting at the basics with geography. Thankyou jon. Thankyou everyone. And now….I’ll allow you all to get bk to the serious topic of volcanos!! 🙂 🙂

  45. Please keep the peace. We all know that the internet is full of people that think they can do better. If they want to, they can do so on there own space somewhere else on the internet. We also know that there are people on the internet who do not want any peace of any type. I don’t see any reason to attract more of them to this website.

    1. Well said Jon and it is so very obvious by the reaction of many of the good people who are part of the Friman Volcommunity that we want things to be civil, friendly and above all to be about enquiry, knowledge and learning.

      Peace

    2. To Jon F {{{{hug}}}}} thank you for all you do. We have learnt so much about our living earth from you and your fellow followers, we love you xxxxxxxx.

  46. It will be interesting to see if Big B has dropped any further to yesterday’s report.

  49. The lava flow must be only a few meters from the river. The interaction will be interesting.

Comments are closed.