Month: May 2011

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Grímsvötn/Grímsfjall volcano eruption update at 08:52 UTC

This is a short update on Grímsfjall volcano/ Grímsvötn eruption. This is short update because a lot of details in this eruption are still unclear at this moment.

Process of the eruption: The eruption in Grímsvötn is still growing strong. Icelandic Met Office SIL sensors show a uneven process in the eruption. But they also show that the eruption has dropped a little bit in power since it originally started in yesterday. That is normal for a eruption in Grímsfjall volcano. It starts strong and then slowly drops in power over time. But what is unusual for this eruption is the uneven process that is taking place (seen with SIL data) in the eruption. What that means is unclear. It is more unclear what it means to the eruption. While it is unclear at the moment. It appears that the eruption is taking place a little south of the eruption in the year 2004. But that is unconfirmed, as ash cloud to the ground blocks the view the eruption site.

Ash cloud: The ash plume is reported to have reached 20 km high yesterday. From as I can gather that has not changed. This ash plume appears be made from two to three ash cloud columns. With the strongest one getting the highest. A lot of lightning is taking place in the ash cloud. Due to the ash cloud, all flight from and to Iceland has been cancelled until further notice (don’t ask question about that here, ask your airliner for information about this closure). The ash did start to fall in populated areas few hours after the eruption did start in Grímsvötn. The ash is described as fine, but more crude (bigger particles) then the ash from Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption in the year 2010. The ash cloud is moving west in higher layers of the atmosphere over Iceland. While it moving south in the lower layers of the atmosphere as the wind is from north in Iceland at the moment.

Earthquakes: After the magma has found it’s way to the surface. All earthquake activity did stop in Grímsfjall volcano. This is normal. But what is unusual is that there have been few earthquake swarm after that in Grímsfjall volcano. I do not know what it means or why this is happening. But this is interesting development.

Other: The earliest estimation on the size of the Grímsfjall volcano eruption 2011 is that this looks like it is a bigger eruption then in Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption in the year 2010. But that is closer to speculation based on visual observation of the eruption. But it is clear that this eruption is bigger then the year 2004 eruption in Grímsfjall volcano.

A new video has been relased of the eruption. It is from yesterday when the eruption was starting.

Update 1: They now say that this is the largest eruption in Grímsvötn / Grímsfjall volcano in the last 100 years. Rúv news about this, Stærsta gos í Grímsvötnum í 100 ár (Icelandic).

Please note that information here might get outdated really fast and with no warning at all!

Update at 09:24 UTC.

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Ash cloud confirmed from Grímsfjall volcano

A eruption ash cloud has been confirmed from Grímsfjall volcano. I do not know how high it currently is. But Icelandic news is reporting that the cloud is rising fast and high (estimated 3000 – 4000 meters and rising). Explosions have been seen from good distance.

Update 1: They estimate that there are 10 to 12 hours until the glacier flood appears from this eruption. The ash cloud can be tracked with lighting map here.

News about this.

Strókur rís hátt yfir Grímsvötnum (Rúv.is, picture)
Tíu til tólf klukkutímar í hlaup (Rúv.is, new picture)
Allir viðbragðsaðilar komnir af stað vegna gossins (Vísir.is, Picture)
Mjög öflug gosstöð (mbl.is, New picture)

Updated at 19:41 UTC.
Updated at 19:53 UTC.
Updated 20:21 UTC.

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Sharp increase in harmonic tremors in Grímsfjall volcano

Something is happening at Grímsfjall volcano. The SIL seismomter on Grímsfjall volcano is shows a sharp increase in harmonic tremors in Grímsfjall volcano. It also appears that earthquake activity in increasing in Grímsfjall volcano.

I do believe (based on the data so far) that a eruption is about to start in Grímsfjall volcano. I am going to post more updates on this when I know more. But please note that I might be wrong. But this is what the data suggests so far.

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Minor lack of updates when moving back to Iceland

While I am moving back to Iceland there is going to be a minor lack of updates. But while everything is quiet this should not really change a lot. But if anything happens it is not guaranteed that I can post information about it right away.

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New video of Fimmvörðuháls craters and lava fields

Rúv News continues to show small bits of the area on Fimmvörðuháls that did erupt last year (2010) with lava fountains and Hawaiian type eruption.

It has been over one year since the eruption in Fimmvörðuháls took place. But the lava fields there are still warm and steaming. But they also have there share of dangerous gases too.

The news from Rúv.is.

Dularkraftur á Fimmvörðuhálsi (Rúv.is, Icelandic, video ,Windows Media Player required). Here is a direct link too the video.

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Earthquake swarm close to Geirfuglasker on Reykjanes Ridge

Today at 15:08 UTC a earthquake swarm did start close to Geirfuglaskeri on Reykjanes Ridge. This earthquake swarm has so far been small, with the largest earthquake having the automatic size ML2.4 with the depth of 10 km.

So far this earthquake swarm has remained small. But it is unclear if this earthquake swarm is going to continue. But there was a break in this earthquake swarm from 16:12 UTC too 18:55 UTC. But I did think that this earthquake swarm was over, until it did start again.

It is impossible to know if this earthquake swarm is over or not.

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New video of Eyjafjallajökull volcano crater

Tonight Rúv did show a new video of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano crater area. But the Rúv News team accompanied the scientist up too the top of Eyjafjallajökull volcano in order too view the crater that is there, and the lave field that did flow from the top crater. According to the news on Rúv it is going to take many years until the glacier recovers fully from the year 2010 eruption in Eyjafjallajökull volcano. As the lava field is up too 100 meters thick due the cooling from the glacier when it did flow form the crater in the eruption.

Rúv News. Use Google translate with the hope that it might translate…or not.

Eyjafjallajökull rannsakaður (Rúv.is, Icelandic)

Vísindamenn ofan í gígum Eyjafjallajökuls (Rúv.is, Windows Media Player required, Icelandic, at the end of the news on Rúv)

Blog post updated at 15. May 2011 at 00:08 CEST. Fixed text and added extra information.
Blog post updated at 15. May 2011 at 19:20 CEST. Fixed the blog post title.

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New measurements of Eyjafjallajökull volcano crater

There is a short news piece about Eyjafjallajökull volcano on the news web site Morgunblaðið (mbl.is). It is about recent trip that geologist took to Eyjafjallajökull volcano. They where monitoring and during measurement of the crater that did form on top of Eyjafjallajökull volcano during the eruption in the year 2010.

According to the news, the crater lake in Eyjafjallajökull volcano is now frozen and there is already 10 meter thick snow layer in the crater. While the lake is cold it is still dangerous do go down into it and people are advanced against to do so. Due to carbon monoxide that is on bottom the crater. While the bottom of the crater is cold, the same cannot be sad about the crater walls. But they are still steaming and the temperature there is from 70C and up to 95C not far below the surface. So this area continues to be dangerous to people and travelling into it should be done with care and not without an experienced tour guide.

The reason why they did go to this trip today was too estimate the area before more detailed measurements are done this summer.

News from Morgunblaðið with picture can be found here.

Fóru ofan í gíginn (mbl.is, Icelandic, pictures)

Blog post updated at 02:24 CEST on 14. May 2011.

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Deep earthquake in Herðurbreiðarfjöll volcano (Askja volcano fissure swarm)

Today at 06:57 UTC in Iceland there was a ML0.2 earthquake east of Herðurbreiðarfjöll volcano. While the size of this earthquake is really small. It is the depth that is interesting in this case. The depth of this earthquake was at 25,7 km depth. This is a interesting depth given the increase in earthquake activity in Askja volcano.

According to my geological map (a rather new one) the mountain named Herðubreiðarfjöll is a volcano that is inside Askja volcano fissure swarm. A common thing that happens in Iceland. This area has many active fault lines and has erupted in modern time. But I do not know when this volcano last erupted, as there are no information on Herðurbreiðarfjöll volcano activity in the GVP database and I have not found anything useful on the internet about this volcano.

Earthquake activity continues in Askja volcano. But at slower rate then before. Other then this, it is quiet in Iceland as it has been for the past few weeks.