Volcano and earthquake activity in Iceland
This evening on 16-October-2022 an strong earthquake swarm started close to Geirfugladrangur and Eldeyjarboða on the Reykjanes ridge. At the writing of this article the strongest earthquake had a magnitude of Mw4,4 but that might change without warning.
It is difficult to know how this earthquake swarm is going to evolve but there are clues in this activity that this might be a large earthquake swarm. However, activity in this area is also known to just stop without warning.
The police and Icelandic Met Office have now advised people not to go to Mýrdalsjökull glacier. This is after the earthquake swarm earlier today. According to Icelandic Met Office this earthquake swarm is similar to what happened before the minor eruption in Katla volcano in July 2011 that resulted in a glacier flood down Mýrdalssand and destroyed the bridge over the glacier river in that area. All trips to see ice caves in Mýrdalsjökull glacier have been temporarily forbidden by the Icelandic Police.
In July 2011 it took around 24 hours from the start of the earthquake activity then until something happened. If that is going to be case now I don’t know. That this activity is similar to July 2011 eruption is worrying. The eruption in July 2011 was minor and didn’t break the glacier, but it resulted in damage in that area from the glacier flood.
Largest earthquakes now have the magnitude of Mw3,8 and Mw3,0 (few of them). Other earthquakes have been smaller in magnitude but that might change without warning.
Today (16-October-2022) an earthquake swarm started in Katla volcano in Mýrdalsjökull glacier. Largest earthquake at the writing of this article had a magnitude of Mw3,8. I don’t know if it was felt in nearby towns and farms. Second largest earthquake had a magnitude of Mw3,0.
This earthquake swarm is ongoing at the writing of this article and the situation can change quickly. This might be a normal earthquake swarm and nothing more might happen. This type of earthquake swarm is not uncommon and I am not sure what is required for an eruption to start in Katla volcano.