Month: June 2012

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New earthquake swarm in Katla volcano on 11. June 2012

Today from 04:00 to around 08:00 UTC this morning. There was an earthquake swarm in Katla volcano. This earthquake swarm was not large in the magnitude of the earthquakes. With the largest earthquakes being around ML2.0 in magnitude. There has been slight increase in conductivity in Múlakvísl river following this earthquake swarm. That suggests water is now leaking from hydro-thermal vents in Mýrdalsjökull glacier. So far no change in harmonic tremor has been seen. So for now, this are just earthquakes taking place inside Katla volcano caldera.


The earthquake swarm in Katla volcano this morning. Copyright of this picture belongs to Iceland Meteorological Office.

It is difficult to know what happens next in Katla volcano. As it is bit unclear what is exactly taking place in Katla volcano. With the lack of harmonic tremor following this earthquake swarms. This simply might just be normal summer earthquake swarms taking place. But Katla volcano is well known for that type of behavior during the summer in Iceland. With the most earthquake activity taking place in July and August.

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Earthquake swarm in Katla volcano yesterday (07.June 2012)

Yesterday there was an earthquake swarm in Katla volcano. Over 50 earthquakes have been recorded so far. But this earthquake swarm stopped yesterday at 16:22 UTC. Most of the earthquakes where shallow, with depth less then 1 km. Largest earthquake had the magnitude of ML2.5. No harmonic tremor was detected following this earthquake swarm. But that is unlike what did happen last year, when a similar earthquake swarm took place in Katla volcano.


Earthquake activity in Katla volcano yesterday (07. June. 2012). The main areas appear clearly on this map. The small dot SE on the caldera rim is an area that became active after last years minor eruption. What is taking place there is still an mystery. Copyright of this picture belongs to Iceland Meteorological Office.

This activity appears to be similar to what happened around 9th July, 2011. But no harmonic tremors are taking place in Katla volcano following this earthquake swarm.


Earthquake activity in Katla volcano on 9. July 2011. This good to compare the earthquake activity yesterday (image above this one). Copyright of this picture belongs to Iceland Meteorological Office.


The ML2.98 magnitude earthquake that happened in Katla volcano yesterday (07. June. 2012). This is the earthquake as it was recorded on Skeiðflöt geophone station. This image is released under Creative Commons License. See License page for more details.


Same earthquake as above. But filtered at 1Hz and this is how the earthquake appeared in Heklubyggð geophone station. This image is released under Creative Commons License. See License page for more details.

So far this is just an earthquake swarm. As there are no harmonic tremor signal taking place as the earthquake swarm is taking place. I do not know if there has been any glacier flood following this earthquake swarm. But if there was. It would mean that hydrothermal vents under Mýrdalsjökull glacier have been emptying out. It happens regularly in glacier such as Mýrdalsjökull glacier.

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New pictures of Grímsfjall volcano crater

Rúv News has just published pictures of Grímsfjall volcano craters. This pictures where taken by Ómar Ragnarsson. The pictures show among them a Island that has formed inside the 1.5 km long and 800 meter wide crater that did erupt in May of last year.


The Grímsfjall volcano crater that erupted on 25. May 2011. Copyright of this picture belongs to Ómar Ragnarsson.

More pictures can be found on Rúv News web site. I recommend that people click on the images to get full size (or click and open in new tab).

Undraveröld Grímsvatna – Myndir (Rúv News, Icelandic, Pictures)

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Special report: New magma injection at depth in El Hierro volcano

While I have returned to just covering Iceland volcano and earthquake activity. It does not mean that I have stopped to watch the earthquake activity in El Hierro volcano at present time.

New earthquake activity with the depth of 15 to 28 km have been taking place in El Hierro volcano today (04.06.2012). Minor earthquake activity has also taken place on 29. May, 1. June, 3. June. But this where not many earthquakes. Nothing suggests that eruption has resumed in El Hierro volcano. However an new injection of magma into El Hierro volcano might have increased hydro-thermal activity in earlier eruption vents, or moved older magma that is already high up in the fissure that was eruption. That however does not mean that the eruption has resumed. But there is nothing in the data from El Hierro volcano to suggest that an eruption has resumed at this point.

For the moment, it is mostly quiet in El Hierro volcano. I fully expect that to continue for the time being. At least it is clear that more needs to happen in El Hierro volcano before an new eruption starts in El Hierro volcano. So for the moment, there is nothing to worry about in my opinion.

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Craters in Grímsfjall volcano clearly visible

The craters from last years eruption in Grímsfjall volcano are clearly visible on new pictures that Rúv did release in the evening news. There also seems to be some increase in hydro-thermal activity in Grímsfjall volcano. Based on the pictures and what was reported in the Rúv news this evening (02.06.2012).

When the eruption was at it largest last year, the crater was around 1.5 km in size. But once the power started to drop in the eruption, the single crater did turn into several small craters. The glacier is slowly closing this new crater. In few years time, there are not going to be many signs in this are that an large eruption took place there.

The new images can be viewed in this news on Rúv news web page.

Gígarnir í Grímsvötnum greinilegir (Icelandic, Video)