Earthquake swarm continues on Reykjanes ridge, small chance of eruption

Today (01-July-2015) earthquake activity continued on the Reykjanes ridge, largest earthquakes so far are magnitude 5,0 (EMSC information here). Second largest earthquake had magnitude 4,8, other earthquakes have been smaller in magnitude. Total of 35 earthquakes that have taken place are larger than magnitude 3,0 and total number of earthquakes when this is written is 537.

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Earthquake activity on the Reykjanes ridge. Green stars are earthquakes that are magnitude 3,0 or stronger. Copyright of this image belongs to Iceland Meteorological Office.

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Earthquake activity has dropped but is ongoing at the moment. Copyright of this image belongs to Iceland Meteorological Office.

Earthquake activity now happens in pulses, with low activity for 2 – 4 hours before it increases again. It is not clear why this is taking place. Overall earthquake activity is dropping at the moment, it might increase again without a warning.

Yellow alert for risk of eruption

The alert level for this volcano that is now making earthquake noise has been raised to yellow. The change happened during my working hours so I was unable to write about it right away. This means there is a risk of eruption at this location, last eruption in this location was in the year 1879 according to the information I have collected here.

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Current warning for the volcano at Eldey is yellow. Copyright of this image belongs to Iceland Meteorological Office.

I don’t know for sure at the moment what the chances are of an eruption at the moment. That should be clearer in next 24 – 48 hours (I hope).

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Article updated at 23:50 UTC.

10 Replies to “Earthquake swarm continues on Reykjanes ridge, small chance of eruption”

  1. Hi Jón, the Amazon Webstore page doesn’t seem to have any clickable links?

    1. If you don’t see the banners in there it is because you have adblcoker active for my website. I don’t run any store my self (at the moment), I just get sale income from Amazon.

  2. Does this event relieve the stress in the SISZ or make the area even worse for large earthquakes than before.

    1. There’s a lot of tension on the mar, so its like a lottery ticket for Iceland, it will go somewhere. We all have our different conclusions as to where, but ‘when’ is an open ended speculation. A subsea volcano would certainly be a spectacle as was the last one.

      I wonder how long it would be before the first Icelander built a house on it lol!

      1. Oh, I think, they will wait long enough to put their new airport on it. 😉

    1. I’d noticed that and wondered about it, too. I think it’s plausible that it’s not a coincidence and that it is, but I’m not a geologist; anyone who is care to comment?

  3. Jon we are now getting a taste of Icelands smoky curtain minus the sulphur for weeks at a time. 2,000,000 Canadian prairie and U.S. Northern plains residents are downwind from 500 Forrest fires burning in Yukon, BC , Alberta and Saskatchewan Canada and millions of burning acres in Alaska. Visibility down to less than 2 km in clear skies. And I am 1000km to the nearest and 3500km from the fires. I now understand how smoke from Laki’s fires were detected in Cairo and how they impacted the weather and killed thousands there as well as Europe . SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
    [top]

    000
    WWUS83 KFGF 031952
    SPSFGF

    SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
    NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
    252 PM CDT FRI JUL 3 2015

    …SMOKE WILL CONTINUE TO IMPACT REGION THROUGH SATURDAY
    MORNING…

    SMOKE ORIGINATING FROM FOREST FIRES IN NORTHERN SASKATCHEWAN AND
    NORTHERN ALBERTA WILL CONTINUE TO IMPACT THE REGION TONIGHT AS
    HIGH PRESSURE BRINGS LIGHT TO CALM WINDS. VISIBILITIES WILL
    DECREASE TO TWO TO FOUR MILES TONIGHT AND CONTINUE ACROSS MOST OF
    THE REGION THROUGH LATE SATURDAY MORNING…WHEN INCREASED
    SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL HELP DISSIPATE THE SMOKE.

    SMOKE MAY RESULT IN IRRITATIONS TO EYES OR TO THOSE WITH
    ASTHMA…AND PERSONS WITH THESE SENSITIVITIES MAY FIND IT BEST TO
    STAY INSIDE UNTIL THE CONDITIONS IMPROVE.

    $$

  4. Is something brewing at Hekla? I see 5 EQ’s in a very short period of time today.

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