Today (17.04.2017) at 11:58 UTC a magnitude 4,2 earthquake took place in Bárðarbunga volcano. This is the strongest earthquake in Bárðarbunga volcano for several weeks now. Following this earthquake a earthquake swarm started and lasted for about one hour in Bárðarbunga volcano.
Green star shows the magnitude 4,2 earthquake in Bárðarbunga volcano. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.
Largest aftershock activity had magnitude of 2,8 as the information is currently on Icelandic Met Office website. That might change tomorrow and it’s possible that I might update this article if any major change happens in earthquake magnitudes. No harmonic tremor was detected following this earthquake swarm. Weather is currently bad in Iceland and that’s going to last for few more hours.
Jon I see another deep one around Habunga today. Does it seems to have a pattern forming of every couple of days or so?
If this pattern holds there might be trouble ahead. Since this suggests a increased magma pressure at depth, without it resulting in any major activity in the shallower crust. I don’t know why that is at the moment and its impossible to know for sure at the moment why current earthquake pattern happens.
Thanks Jon
Katla is coughing
Seems to be quite a lot of activity at Hekla, as well as Katla. I understand that Hekla rarely gives any warning regards earthquakes when it erupts, and Katla seems to be remaining seismically active longer than usual. Any thoughts on these two? I did note somewhere that they are on the list or concerns, along with a couple others.
I’ll write an article soon as possible about the activity in Katla volcano. There is a strong wind in south Iceland at the moment and I also think that current earthquake swarm activity in Katla volcano is not over, there however seems to be a break in the activity at the moment.
Strong earthquake swarm starting on Reykjanes Ridge. Largest earthquake so far magnitude 3,9.