Earthquake activity that started in March 2017 in TFZ (Tjörnes Fracture Zone) is ongoing. I don’t know yet how many earthquakes have happened so far, but at last check Icelandic Met Office reported that the mark was at 800 and that was more then a month ago. The fluid that is pressuring up at this location between fault lines is most likely a magma in my view. If that results in a eruption is harder to say, at the moment the magma seems to be stuck at 10 km depth (in or around that depth).
The current earthquake at Flatey in Skjálfanda fjord. The location is where the yellow and orange dots mix (slightly east of Eyjafjörður fjord). Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.
The earthquake activity at this location continues with little signs of stopping. What is also interesting is the fact the magma doesn’t seems to be making any progress up the crust at the moment. With fault line already in place the path to the surface is almost direct in this area if nothing is preventing the magma from moving upwards (impossible to know). At the moment this earthquake activity is limited to minor earthquakes and this magma seems to be lacking pressure to reach the surface at the moment. At this location there are no known volcanoes.
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Perhaps a larger quake will get things moving there!
What needs to happen for this to reach the surface seems to be more pressure. I don’t think there is much resistance in this fault line at this location as the magma is moved up the fault until 10 km depth. Why it stopped there is a good question (lack of pressure?).
If an eruption happens at this location it would be the first ever eruption at this location and a brand new volcano.
Jon I see two deep quakes at Habunga. Still Katla is very quiet of late
This deep earthquake suggests that trouble or at least increase in activity is ahead in Katla volcano. I also got the first strange earthquake appearing again during the night. I don’t know what causes them but the Icelandic Met Office idea is that they appear from Torfajökull volcano, I’ve started of late to disagree with that assessment.
Jon why do you think we get a lot of activity in Katla and then a long silence?
I don’t know why this pattern happens. It is interesting, I can hope that future studies explain this behaviour of Katla volcano.
How do you like the tremor plot of god.gif Goðabunga now Jón?
Br Elmar
It would be interesting in the future pitty we didn’t know more about her now and if this is what she does before eruptions. Thanks Jon
For volcano watcher’s with access to BBC IPlayer, BBC Horizon is on the topic of Space Volcanoes, (with reference to Icelandic volcanoes). I find the trouble with Horizon is it’s as slow as watching live geology. The scientists enjoy playing with an 80kw furnace with a big grin on their face – more fun than applying for research grants I guess.