Today (6-October-2016) a magnitude 3,2 earthquake took place in Katla volcano. This earthquake had smaller earthquake activity before it happened and after it took place. Currently bad weather in the Katla volcano area is preventing detection of the smallest earthquakes. That bad weather is going to last at least until tomorrow and then a new storm might arrive few hours later.
The earthquake activity in Katla volcano. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.
Heavy rain in south Iceland has prevented a good reading on conductivity in Múlakvísl glacier river. Since freshwater mixing into the glacier water results in drop of conductivity with increase amount of water. This has also resulted in some glacier quake activity in Mýrdalsjökull glacier.
Off-line warning
Due to hurricane Matthews there is a risk of this website going off-line from tomorrow as the hurricane hits Florida and Orlando, where this website is hosted. I will take a backup of it later today just in case. At worst some comments might be lost and even some articles (if I update the website after I take my backup).
Deep EQs aren’t very common in Katla. Yesterday and last night there were at least three:
* Wed 12:44:05, 8.0 km, M1.0, 11.6 km ENE of Goðabunga (outside the caldera).
* Wed 20:22:05, 10.1 km, M1.1, 2.4 km ENE of Hábunga.
* Thu 01:23:25, 7.9 km, M1.4, 3.7 km ENE of Goðabunga.
I think one or more of these earthquakes are directly connected to the M3.2.
This suggests that magma is on the move in Katla volcano. This earthquake swarm might increase and even get bigger then last earthquake swarm.
She’s really picking up now even though there small quakes could this be the part of the swarm incoming
Should the colour change to yellow again?! She seems pretty restless :-/
I didn’t know it was back on green..?
It is since yesterday…
But you are right, Jen. It is.
Ok, thanks! This piece of information passed me by unnoticed.
I think she will need to show a bit more activity before they would change the colour Jen.
I check this website before the icelandic met office. Thank you do much. Hope to get to Iceland soon
I am starting to get really excited and I live in Canada. There are too many indicators that this baby is going to blow and the timing is perfect 98 years past the last major explosion and the De Vries cycle is catching the new solar minimum. It’s also early October. I will eat off all my fingers if it doesn’t blow in the next 2 weeks. I am hoping this new activity is leading to a new swarming and October 12 is the big day.
Tasty fingers ?
To many Jen’s ? I will change to my full name: Jenneke
Lol
Lol.
I just hope no one gets hurt 🙁
Haha, I will manage 🙂
Jenneke arena you dutch?
Arena = are (stupid smartphone!)
Yes I am Henk!
Speaking of true gods…
Right now in the god drumplot- are those small spikes harmonic tremor?
They look a bit different than the other spiky action I’ve seen during the past week.
I am scheduled to travel to Iceland on Oct 19-22 — based on your experience do you think Katla will erupt before then ? Worried about travel disruptions ….
There is no way to know this until an eruption starts. When a eruption starts it depends on the wind direction. Currently any ash cloud would go north of Iceland.
Ok thank you. In your expertise do you think an eruption will happen in the next two weeks or sooner? I know it’s tough to say but just based on what you have seen in the past …
There is no way to know this. What I do expect is more earthquake activity in next few days to weeks. If it results in a eruption is impossible to know.