During last week and on 5. January 2012 there where few earthquakes in the Upptyppingar tuff mountains. This mountains are not volcano by definition (yet anyway). But since the year 2007 there has been magma intrusion into that area. This magma intrusion however stopped and has been stopped for several years now. But that might be about to change. As on 5 January 2012 there where few small earthquakes with the depth of 12 km. Last eruption that took place in the Upptyppingar tuff mountain area where about 12.000 years ago, around the end of the last ice age. Considerable deformation has taken place in the crust in Upptyppingar tuff mountain since magma started to build up there. Current earthquake activity in Upptyppingar tuff mountain is not high at the moment however. But it has remained rather constant for the past 7 to 10 weeks at least. But due to lack of SIL stations in the area, it is hard to know how many earthquakes have exactly been taking place there at the moment.
Upptyppingar tuff mountains are part of Kverkfjöll volcano system. This new magma into Upptyppingar tuff mountains suggests that Kverkfjöll volcano might be about to enter an new time of activity. But they have been dormant since the year 1968 at least. But Kverkfjöll volcano have also been seeing some earthquake activity on its own.
It is most likely is the case that we are going to see eruption taking place in Upptyppingar tuff mountain one day. But the wait for it might be long however.
A research papers into the activity in Upptyppingar tuff mountain.
Resarch #1 (pdf file)
Research #2 (pdf file)
There is alot of volcano activity at the moment in iceland altogether really!! I am wondering when the most amount of volcanos erupted in one year in iceland?! just curious. i am struggling with the re captcha thing to post a comment
No idea. But I have always been a bit uneasy about Hekla being called the “Gateway to Hell”, rather than “Hell” as it implies that there could have been more activity beyond ~ hopefully not all at once.
Thanks for a great article. Also had a pleasant trip round Iceland on the map trying to find Kverkfjöll.
In the process, I saw a few other volcanoes to the N of it & to the E of Askja, which look interesting to research (no idea what their history is).
The increasing level of volcanic activity in Iceland is normal and is part of an expected peak in the cycle of activity due to occur within the next couple of decades.
During the 1720s, on another peak, there was an insane number of eruptions that were documented. Not only a large number of eruptions in Myvatn (Krafla) but also Hekla, a large eruption from Katla, a large eruption from Oraefajokull, another from Kverfjoll and several others in Vatnajokull, probably from Grimsvotn or Bardarbunga. Between 1725 and 1729 there were 2 or 3 volcanoes erupting per year!
You can read about the history of volcanic eruptions in Iceland for the past 1000 years here, http://icelandgeology.net/?p=765
This is an blog post that I made few months ago.
Thank you.
What about the Quakes @Langjökull? Seen some scattert EQ there over the past month.
Yes, two earthquakes in Langjokull (that volcano has also been showing signs of awakening)
And yet another earthquake in Hamarinn, another restless volcano.
There are from time to time earthquakes series around the southern Langjökull volcanic system, i.e. around Prestahnúkur / Geitlandsjökull / Þórisjökull.
Under Prestahnúkur there is a high temperature area with hot springs, so that it is believed the central volcano of this system would be around there.
The other known volcanic system of Langjökull area is centered in the northeast around Hveravellir high temperature area. There have been earthquake series in the last one or two years to the north of it.
Both are active volcanic systems.
There was also what seem some small harmonic tremor in Hamarinn a few hours ago.
There has also been an earthquake in the region. (1.3, confirmed: http://www.vedur.is/skjalftar-og-eldgos/jardskjalftar/vatnajokull/#view=table ).
Could the erratic figures in ASK and VSH sils be related to what is happening under Upptyppingar?
Monday
09.01.2012 02:16:48 64.765 -19.008 4.5 km 1.5 84.28 28.0 km ESE of Hveravellir
That was Hofsjökull volcano. The largest volcano in Iceland. It has never erupted in historical times.
Thanks for that Jon. Here is the exact location of Upptyppingar ( I love that name)
http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x96/wildjinny/Volcanoes%20and%20Iceland/locationofUpptypingar.jpg
As Stoneyard says Do you think that this may be the cause of the tremors at ……
http://hraun.vedur.is/ja/oroi/vsh.gif Vestari-Saudahnjukur and Askja?
Personally I think that is a bit far from Upptyppingar . However Askja may be showing harmonics but I think there is a technical problem there too . It is a pity the SIL stations nearby are not working.
Diana
Uptyppingar
My version: Peeks Erectus
An earthquake has been confirmed again in the region between Akureyri and Mývatn, actually at exactly the same place as two or three earthquakes some weeks ago, i.e. near the Hringvegur and between the Fnjóskadalur and Ljósavatn. This is a very uncommon place for earthquakes. There is no known volcanic system nearby. http://www.vedur.is/skjalftar-og-eldgos/jardskjalftar/myvatn/
Monday
09.01.2012 21:31:23 65.088 -16.255 7.7 km 1.7 81.14 5.2 km N of Upptyppingar
Monday
09.01.2012 22:05:38 65.086 -16.260 5.9 km 1.8 82.52 5.0 km N of Upptyppingar
Monday
09.01.2012 21:31:23 65.088 -16.255 7.7 km 1.7 81.14 5.2 km N of Upptyppingar
New blog post about El Hierro volcano is up! 🙂