Category: Hengill

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A new fissure starts to form in Thingvellir National Park (Almannagjá)

According to a news on Rúv. A new fissure has opened in south part of Almannagjá. It is not clear when this fissure started to form, but it looks to have formed in rather recent time (years?). But this fissure was discovered after a snow and frost started to thaw out of the ground in the last few weeks. This new fissure is about 10 to 14 meters deep and is under the middle of the walking path that is in this area. It has now been closed for safety reasons. Tourists and people how are travelling this area of Thingvellir are asked to respect the travel ban in this area. But this is a deep fissure and it is unmarked and dangerous.

This area is in part of the Hengill volcano fissure swarm. But it on the north-east edge of the end of that fissure swarm that extends from Hengill volcano.

News about this fissure formation. With picture. Use Google Translate with care. After all, it doesn’t understand Icelandic.

Djúp sprunga fannst undir göngustíg (Rúv, Icelandic)
Djúp sprunga myndast í Almannagjá (DV, Icelandic)

Updated at 15:57 CEST on the 31. March 2011. New newslink added.

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Human made earthquakes in Hengill volcano

It appears that operations of Orkuveita Reykjavíkur are creating the earthquake swarms that have been seen in Hengill volcanoo. But as part of operations in Hengill geothermal plant they pump down cold water into the bed rock under considerable pressure. This is according to Sigþrúður Ármannsdóttir a geologist at Icelandic Met Office. But Vísir.is quoted here on this earthquakes swarms in Hengill volcano.

This type of earthquake swarms are going to repeat them self for as long Orkuveita Reykjavíkur is pumping down cold water into the bed rock in Hengill volcano. As the water creates a pressure change in the surrounding rock.

The most intresting earthquakes that happened as because of this swarm where 3.8 km NE of Hveragerði. But the size of that earthquake was ML2.6 (automatic size). and it was considerable distance from Hengill volcano and appears to have been triggered by the earthquake swarm in Hengill volcano (unclear however and just my own observation).

News about this.

Orkuveitan framkallar jarðskjálfta í Henglinum (Vísir.is, Icelandic)

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New earthquake swarm in Hengill volcano

A new earthquake swarm has started in Hengill volcano. This earthquake swarm is in the same location as a earthquake swarm that took place there few weeks ago (see here).

So far this earthquake swarm has mostly been made out of small earthquakes. But all earthquakes are below ML2.0 in size so far.

It is unclear why this earthquake swarm is taking place. But the reason might be that the geothermal power plant that is in the area is pumping down or up ground water.

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Eartquake swarm in Hengill volcano

The Icelandic volcano known as Hengill did have a minor earthquake swarm of 20 something earthquakes today. This earthquake swarm might be related to geothermal power plant activity nearby (by pumping down or up water in the area). But at the moment I do not have it confirmed and this has also not been confirmed by the news.

This earthquake swarm in this area is normal and this volcano has several every year as it located on the main rift zone in Iceland. The last large earthquake swarm in this volcano took place during the year 1997 to 2000. Then many earthquake up to size Mb5.0 took place in Hengill volcano.

Icelandic news. Use Google translate at own risk.

Um 20 skjálftar hafa mælst (Vísir.is)