Significant Quakes Strike Kansas, Oklahoma, Iceland

 

Kansas Shaken by Magnitude 4.1 Quake

Centered at 37.239°N, 97.967°W the event occurred at a signature depth of 5.6km (3.5mi).

Earthquake Details [USGS/EHP]

Magnitude: 4.1Mw
Event Time: 2014-09-30 @ 14:55:04 UTC
Location: 37.239°N 97.967°W depth=5.6km (3.5mi)
Nearby Cities

• 7km (4mi) SE of Harper, Kansas
• 65km (40mi) WSW of Haysville, Kansas
• 70km (43mi) WSW of Derby, Kansas
• 75km (47mi) SW of Wichita, Kansas
• 200km (124mi) NNW of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

M4.1 quake strikes near Perry, Oklahoma

The largest of 4 earthquakes to strike Oklahoma so far today measured 4.1Mw, occurring at depth of 5.0km (3.1mi) about 24km (15mi) WSW of Perry, Oklahoma, reported USGS/EHP.

At least 419 quakes measuring 3.0 or greater have struck Oklahoma over the last 365 days.

Earthquake Details [USGS/EHP]

Magnitude: 4.1Mw
Event Time: 2014-09-30 @ 03:01:26 UTC
Location: 36.232°N 97.556°W depth=5.0km (3.1mi)
Nearby Cities

• 24km (15mi) WSW of Perry, Oklahoma
• 34km (21mi) ESE of Enid, Oklahoma
• 40km (25mi) NNW of Guthrie, Oklahoma
• 46km (29mi) WNW of Stillwater, Oklahoma
• 84km (52mi) N of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

 M5.5 shock rattles Bardarbunga volcano, Iceland

Centered at 64.612°N, 17.361°W the quake struck at a depth of 5.6 km about 8.5km  ESE of Bárðarbunga volcano, said Iceland Meteorological Office (IMO).

The quake was the largest to strike Iceland in recent days.

 

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IMPORTANT NOTICE: FIRE-EARTH Earthquake Forecasts

For detailed earthquake forecasts tune into FIRE-EARTH Reports daily @ 06:32UTC.

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Related Links

•  U.S.
  The 837th Quake Strikes Oklahoma in 2014 August 9, 2014
• Intense Seismicity Resumes in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oklahoma Posted on July 13, 2014
• Earthquakes Strike California, New York, Oklahoma… Posted on July 6, 2014

Iceland

• Significant Quakes Strike Iceland September 28, 2014
• Significant Earthquake Strikes Bardarbunga System August 31, 2014
• Red Alert as Bardarbunga Volcano Erupts August 23, 2014
• Thousands of tremors recorded near Bárðarbunga volcano August 20, 2014
• Seismic activity – last 48 hours + 3D Map of the Tremors
• Bárðarbunga Webcam

Significant Quakes Strike Iceland

VOLCANIC HAZARDS
SEISMIC HAZARDS
MAIN SCENARIOS 707, 017, 08, 07, 02
.

Significant earthquakes strike near Bardarbunga volcano

At least 8 more earthquake measuring 4.0Mw or greater have occurred near Bardarbunga volcano in Iceland since Friday.

4 of the quakes measured 5.0Mw or greater, including three  shocks that registered 5.2Mw, according to the data provided by the Icelandic Met Office (IMO).

Meantime, IMO has issued the following warnings

• Warning: Fissure eruption continues in Holuhraun lava field, north of Vatnajökull (Vatna Glacier).
• Warning: Today (Sunday) volcanic gas emissions are expected to drift east and later to the northeast of the eruption site. Tomorrow (Monday) the pollution will affect areas to the north and northwest.

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IMPORTANT NOTICE: FIRE-EARTH Earthquake Forecasts

For detailed earthquake forecasts tune into FIRE-EARTH Reports daily @ 06:32UTC.

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Related Links

• Significant Earthquake Strikes Bardarbunga System August 31, 2014
• Red Alert as Bardarbunga Volcano Erupts August 23, 2014
• Thousands of tremors recorded near Bárðarbunga volcano August 20, 2014
• Seismic activity – last 48 hours + 3D Map of the Tremors
• Bárðarbunga Webcam

 

Deadly Storms Cut Power to 600,000+ Homes, Businesses in Midwest

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC HAZARDS
EXTREME RAIN EVENTS
HIGH WINDS
DEADLY STORMS
SCENARIOS 900,  888, 444, 178, 111, 070, 066, 064, 08, 07 
.

Killer storms wreak havoc in U.S. Midwest

A line of killer storms brought heavy winds, torrential rains and lightning to Illinois and Michigan, uprooting trees, downing power lines and leaving at least two people dead, said officials on Saturday, Reuters reported.

Hundreds of thousands of Michigan residents were left without power, with the the Detroit area being  the hardest hit, AP reported.

Wind gusts of more than 120 km/h (75 mph) downed more than 2,000 power lines Friday, said DTE Energy Co, leaving hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses without power.

“An Illinois woman died Saturday of injuries she sustained when she was struck by a falling tree and a Michigan man was electrocuted after touching a power line,” Reuters reported local media as saying.

Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events

“Mystery virus” infecting hundreds of children across the US

A severe respiratory illness is sickening hundreds of children across the U.S., according to reports describing disease as a “mystery virus.”

“The disease hasn’t been officially identified but officials suspect a rare respiratory virus called human enterovirus 68. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the virus is related to the rhinovirus, which causes the common cold,” ABC reported.

The disease is said to be similar to a common cold, but is more severe. Symptoms include high fever,  breathing difficulty, and a wheezing couch.

“Officials at Children’s Hospital Colorado said they have treated more than 900 children since Aug. 18 for severe respiratory illness and admitted 86 to the hospital,” said a report.

Hundreds of additional cases have also been reported in Illinois, Missouri and Ohio.

Significant Seismic Activity Continues at Bardarbunga Volcano

Researchers monitoring Iceland’s massive volcano reported a total of 70 earthquakes between midnight and 08:00GMT on September 7,  2014, said IMO. The largest quake measuring magnitude M5.7  occurred at 07:08 in the Bárðarbunga caldera. “The lava has reached Jökulsá á Fjöllum. Steaming occurs.”  [The quake was later downgraded to magnitude 5.4  — Editor]

Another significant quake measuring M5.0 occurred Saturday morning some 7.2km NE of Bárðarbunga, said IMO.

Large changes on the ice surface: up to 15 m subsidence has occurred in the centre of Bárðarbunga caldera [which corresponds to a volume change of 0.25 km³]. There are no signs of eruption or increased geothermal activity in the caldera.The main eruptive activity is on the fissure that has been active since the eruption began. In addition, the fissure that opened yesterday morning is still active. Depressions in the ice have grown deeper.

The shape of the subsidence area is in accordance with the elevation of the caldera floor having lowered by that amount. [IMO]

 Deadly Floods Force Evacuations in S. Italy

Several people are dead or reported missing as severe floods inundated large parts of southern Italy forcing more than 1,000 families to evacuate.

Rainfall in the region has been the heaviest in at least 80 years, officials said.

Thousands evacuated as Hurricane NORBERT lashes Mexico’s Pacific coast

More than 2,500 people were evacuated as Hurricane NORBERT inundated large areas along Mexico’s Pacific coast, damaging at least 1,500 homes, officials said.

The hurricane also severely flooded the coastal town of San Carlos [population: ~7,000,] after levees protecting the area were breached by storm surges.

GLOBAL DISASTERS/ SIGNIFICANT EVENTS, SEP. 2, 2014

STATE TERRORISM IN UKRAINE
MASS DISPLACEMENT
VOLCANIC ERUPTION
SIGNIFICANT SEISMIC EVENTS
BARDARBUNGA VOLCANO
TAVURVUR VOLCANO
TUNGURAHUA VOLCANO
EXTREME RAIN EVENTS
SEVERE FLOODING IN SW CHINA, E. PAKISTAN, S. SWEDEN
SCENARIOS 888, 444, 200, 069, 023, 017, 09, 08, 07
.

1 Million Ukrainians Displaced by Conflict

More than 1 million people have been displaced since the conflict began in Ukraine, says the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR).

“It’s safe to say you have over a million people now displaced as a result of the conflict, internally and externally together,” Reuters quoted director of the UNHCR’s bureau for Europe, as saying.

“I mean 260,000 [internally displaced] in Ukraine—it’s a low estimate—and 814,000 [have fled to] Russia.”

There has been a surge in the number of war refugees internally displaced in Ukraine since about mid August, local media reported.

Bardarbunga Eruption

Volcanic activity continues in Holuhraun lava filed webcam images show, The rate of flow remains steady with no visible change in activity since Monday, with effusive lava eruption and fountains, said IMO.

The largest earthquake to hit the volcano system measured 3.1Mw, which occurred in the northern part of the magma field with additional seismicity detected beneath the glacier rim.

IMO said:

• The eruption has not created any ash-fall. A white plume of steam and gas rises from the eruption on Holuhraun, reaching an elevation of about 4.5 km above sea level. Downwind, a volcanic cloud extends from the eruption site. Yesterday afternoon a white cloud from the eruption extended 60 km to the north-north-east.
• In comparison to yesterday, more [sulfur] dioxide has been measured in the eruption cloud.
• Sandstorms on the floodplain around the eruption site have contributed fine-grained particles to the eruption cloud. This was seen as a light-brown haze earlier today near to Egilsstaðir.
• The eruptive fissure is about 1.5 km in length, positioned about 4.5 km from the ice margin of Dyngjujökull.
• At 14:00 UTC yesterday, the lava flow was 4.2 km² in area. At 08:00 UTC the edge had extended 1.5 km to the east-south-east.

 Tungurahua shows  increased activity: Ecuador Seismologists

Dozens of explosions were recorded at the volcano on Monday, as experts warned of renewed sudden increases in explosive activity.

The volcano has been ejecting plumes of ash to heights of about to 3km since Wednesday.

The 5,023-m volcano has been active since 1999, and has shown signs of increased activity since February 1, 2014.

“Throat of Fire,” as it’s known in the in the local Quechua language, is one of nine or so active volcanoes in Ecuador, located about 140 km  south of the capital, Quito.

 Flash Floods in Sweden and Denmark

Extreme Rain Events triggered flash floods causing traffic chaos in Sweden and Denmark, submerging occupied vehicles, and forcing the evacuation of residents in some areas, AP reported.

Some 120mm (4.7 inches) of rain fell in about three hours, inundating the Danish capital, Copenhagen.

Many Dead or Missing after Severe Flooding in SW China

Extreme Rain Events triggered widespread flash floods and landslides in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, leaving dozens dead or missing, said a report.

 

Significant Earthquakes Strike Bárðarbunga

VOLCANIC SEISMICITY
FISSURE ERUPTION
BARDARBUNGA VOLCANO
SCENARIOS 023, 017, 09, 08, 07
.

3 Earthquakes measuring magnitude 5.0 or greater strike near Bardarbunga volcano

At least 22 earthquakes measuring magnitude 3.0 or greater, including 3 measuring magnitudes 5.0, 5.1 and 5.3 have occurred near Bardarbunga volcano since Saturday, reported IMO.

Volcanic activity in Holuhraun Lava Field

Meantime, the fissure eruption continues “at a stable level,” said IMO. “No explosive activity is observed, the eruption remains an effusive lava eruption. Visual observation by webcam and low level volcanic tremor on seismometers do not show any obvious changes since [Sunday] evening.”

Earthquake Location Map. Source: USGS/EHP

Related Links

• Significant Earthquake Strikes Bardarbunga System August 31, 2014
• ‘Red Warning’ Issued for Iceland Volcano August 31, 2014
• MAJOR DISASTERS/ SIGNIFICANT EVENTS, Aug. 29, 2014 August 29, 2014
• Two More Significant Quakes Hit Bardarbunga Volcano August 27, 2014
• Red Alert as Bardarbunga Volcano Erupts August 23, 2014
• Thousands of tremors recorded near Bárðarbunga volcano August 20, 2014
• Seismic activity – last 48 hours + 3D Map of the Tremors
• Bárðarbunga Webcam

Significant Earthquake Strikes Bardarbunga System

VOLCANIC SEISMICITY
FISSURE ERUPTION
BARDARBUNGA VOLCANO
SCENARIOS 023, 017, 09, 08, 07
.

M5.1 quake occurs at northern rim of  Bardarbunga caldera: IMO

Centered at 64.675°N, 17.415°W, about 6.6km NE of Bardarbunga, the quake occurred at a depth of 5.2 km [USGS/EHP: 64.723°N 17.390°W depth=7.5km] on Sunday at 12:01:45GMT, said Iceland Met Office (IMO).

The quake was the largest to strike Bardarbunga volcanic system since a magnitude 5.4 shock on Saturday.

Meantime, a large fissure eruption continues in Holuhraun lava field, north of Vatnajokull [Glacier of Lakes.]

“A lava eruption started in Holuhraun shortly after 04 AM, on the same volcanic fissure, which erupted earlier this week. The fissure is estimated to be 1.5 km long.”

The lava extruding from the fissure was estimated at 1 km wide, 3 km long and several meters deep, oozing down in a northeasterly direction. The flow rate was about 1,000 m³ per second, said IMO.

The Aviation Color Code for Bárðarbunga has been downgraded from “red” to “orange” [because no ash has been detected] and the alert level for Askja to “yellow,” said IMO.

Related Links

• ‘Red Warning’ Issued for Iceland Volcano August 31, 2014
• MAJOR DISASTERS/ SIGNIFICANT EVENTS, Aug. 29, 2014 August 29, 2014
• Two More Significant Quakes Hit Bardarbunga Volcano August 27, 2014
• Red Alert as Bardarbunga Volcano Erupts August 23, 2014
• Thousands of tremors recorded near Bárðarbunga volcano August 20, 2014
• Seismic activity – last 48 hours + 3D Map of the Tremors
• Bárðarbunga Webcam

‘Red Warning’ Issued for Iceland Volcano

FISSURE ERUPTION
VOLCANIC SEISMICITY
BARDARBUNGA VOLCANO
SCENARIOS 023, 017, 09, 08, 07
.

New fissure eruption near Bardarbunga prompts ‘Red Alert’

Iceland has once again raised its aviation warning to the highest level after a new fissure eruption in Holuhraun lava field near Bardarbunga volcano.

Volcanologists monitoring restive Bardarbunga observed a fissure eruption at 05:15GMT on Sunday, said IMO.

“It appears that the eruptive fissure is longer than in the last eruption. It is extending north and south on the same . The eruption is a very calm lava eruption and can hardly be seen on seismometers. Visual observation confirm it is calm, but continuous.”

Currently, only lava is erupting, but no ash has been observed, added IMO.

Sunday eruption from a new fissure in Holuhraun lava field

Image via Xinhua.

Photo: Benedikt Gunnar Ófeigsson/IMO. Image may be subject to copyright

The eruption prompted IMO to raise the aviation warning code to ‘red’ for the large area that houses the Bardarbunga volcanic system.

The new fissure is located very close to the Friday’s, with the fracture extending further to the north, said a researcher.

The latest eruption is said to be far more more intense than Friday’s, with the lava flow estimated to be more than 10 times greater.

Meantime, seismicity continues on a 15-km-long region of the dyke intrusion, said IMO, “extending both into the Dyngjujökull glacier and the region north of the ice margin. Earthquakes have not migrated northwards during the last two days.”

An estimated 500 million cubic meters of lava has flowed from beneath the volcano in a long dyke since last week.

Related Links

• MAJOR DISASTERS/ SIGNIFICANT EVENTS, Aug. 29, 2014 August 29, 2014
• Two More Significant Quakes Hit Bardarbunga Volcano August 27, 2014
• Red Alert as Bardarbunga Volcano Erupts August 23, 2014
• Thousands of tremors recorded near Bárðarbunga volcano August 20, 2014
• Seismic activity – last 48 hours + 3D Map of the Tremors
• Bárðarbunga Webcam

GLOBAL DISASTERS/ SIGNIFICANT EVENTS, Aug. 30, 2014

VOLCANIC ERUPTION
SIGNIFICANT SEISMIC EVENTS
BARDARBUNGA VOLCANO
TAVURVUR VOLCANO
DROUGHT MEGA DISASTER
SCENARIOS 808, 800, 444, 023, 017, 09, 08, 07, 03, 02
.

Another Significant Quake Strikes Iceland’s Bardarbunga Volcano

Centered at 64.844°N, 16.858°W [about 18.0km ENE of Kistufell] the quake struck at a depth of 5.4km on Saturday, said IMO.

The shock occurred beneath Bardarbunga’s main volcano at 07:03 GMT, said IMO, adding that they had not observed any new eruptions.

Iceland’s Earthquake Count [48 hrs to13:40 GMT on Aug 30]:

Magnitude less than 1Mw: 494
Magnitude 1 to 2Mw: 1627
Magnitude 2 to 3Mw: 228
Magnitude 3 or greater: 16
Total: 2,365
Source: IMO Earthquake Count

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IMPORTANT NOTICE: FIRE-EARTH Earthquake Forecasts

For detailed earthquake forecasts tune into FIRE-EARTH Reports daily @ 06:32UTC.

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Drought Destroys Crops in N China

Recent drought in northern China has destroyed crops in much of northern China, leaving scores of people without food or drinking water, according to authorities, said Xinhua, China’s official news agency.

The regions include the provinces of Liaoning, Henan, Jilin, Hebei and Hubei as well as Inner Mongolia and Ningxia Hui autonomous regions, said the report, citing the country’s Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Liaoning province has experienced its worst drought since 1951, with about half million hectares of crops destroyed. The grain production in the province is expected to decline by 5 billion kg this year, said the report.

Severe Drought in Hebei

“Lingering droughts have spread to most parts of Hebei, a major grain-producing region in China, affecting 1.25 million hectares of crops, said the provincial water resources department.”

Large numbers of livestock are also short of water. Average precipitation in the province through mid-August was 21 mm, about 50 percent less than the average for the period, said the report.

Record Drought Kills Scores of Livestock in Xinjiang

“A prolonged drought in northwest China’s Xinjiang has left about 200,000 people in need of emergency aid, including drinking water, said the region’s civil affairs department.” Xinhua reported.

“In seven counties of the Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture of Ili in northern Xinjiang, more than half a million people and 3.46 million head of livestock have been affected. Some 7,700 cattle have died.”

“Herders are concerned how their livestock will survive the winter due to the destruction of fodder by the drought. Over 4.3 million mu (287,000 hectares) of crops and 22.8 million mu of pastures have suffered, with direct economic losses of 4.3 billion yuan (700 million U.S. dollars).”

Nationally, the drought has affected about 3 million hectares of crops.

“Artificial rain has failed to relieve the situation.”

MAJOR DISASTERS/ SIGNIFICANT EVENTS, Aug. 29, 2014

VOLCANIC ERUPTION
SIGNIFICANT SEISMIC EVENTS
BARDARBUNGA VOLCANO
TAVURVUR VOLCANO
SCENARIOS 023, 017, 09, 08, 07
.

Fissure eruption reported in Holuhraun lava field, Dyngjujokull glacier, Iceland

The eruption breached surface in Holuhraun lava field about 5km north of Dyngjujokull about 00:02 GMT on Friday, said IMO.

Seismic activity has decreased as a result of the pressure release, however a significant amount of earthquakes is still detected in the magma dike, between the eruption site and south to about 5 km into Dyngjujökull.

The aviation color-code was raised to “red” and back to “orange,” as there was no ash emission.

A significant shock measuring 5.2Mw centered at 64.770°N, 17.335°W occurred at a depth of 7.5km at 12:21UTC, said USGS/EHP.

Tavurvur Volcano Erupts in Papua New Guinea (PNG)

Mount Tavurvur on PNG’s East New Britain Island erupted violently at 3.00 a.m. local time,  said Rabaul Volcanological Observatory.

It ejected plumes of smoke and ash to a height of about 17,000m over the South Pacific island country, forcing the authorities to warn local residents to stay indoors, and causing airlines to alter some flight paths.

“Flight paths between Sydney and Narita (Tokyo) and Sydney and Shanghai have been altered as a result of the volcanic ash cloud over Rabaul in eastern Papua New Guinea,” Qantas spokeswoman told Reuters.

The eruption reached the top of the atmosphere at 50,000 feet, which is the same height as which planes travel, could disrupt air flights from Australia, said the Volcanic Ash Advisory Center in Darwin, Australia.

M5.6 Quake Strikes South of Athens, Greece

Centered at 36.738°N, 23.757°E, about 137km south of Athens, the quake struck at a depth of 91.8km, said USGS/EHP.

The quake was felt in Athens; however, there were no reports of casualties or severe damage, as of posting.

Two More Significant Quakes Hit Bardarbunga Volcano

MAJOR DISASTERS/ SIGNIFICANT EVENTS
VOLCANIC ERUPTION
SIGNIFICANT SEISMIC EVENTS
BARDARBUNGA VOLCANO ERUPTING
SCENARIOS 023, 09, 08, 07
.

Bardarbunga volcano hit by two more significant earthquakes

Two more earthquakes measuring magnitudes 5.4 and 5.2 struck near Iceland’s Bardarbunga volcano on Wednesday. The quakes struck at depths of 6.4 and 6.2km respectively.
A magnitude 4.5 quake also struck the nearby Askja volcano at a depth of 4km, said IMO.

Earthquake count in the past 48 hours, as of posting  [Source: IMO]

• Magnitude less than 1 = 270
• Magnitude 1 to 2 = 1,674
• Magnitude 2 to 3 = 378
• Magnitude more than 3 = 28
• Total = 2,350

The largest quake to strike  Bardarbunga so far was a magnitude 5.7, which occurred at a depth of 6.2km on Tuesday about 4.8 km NNE of of the volcano.

Earthquake location map as of 27 Aug 13:10 GMT. Source and copyright: IMO. See Fair Use Notice

Other Significant Events

M5.4 Strikes 150km SSE of Shizunai, Kamikazeland

Centered at 41.115°N, 143.158°E the quake occurred at a depth of 28.3km (17.6mi), said USGS/EHP.

Distances:

• 158km (98mi) ENE of Misawa, Japan
• 673km (418mi) NNE of Tokyo, Japan

FIRE-EARTH Earthquake Forecasts for Japan

FIRE-EARTH Science Team has suspended its research on Japan seismicity due to resurgence of militarism in Japan and other reasons, as previously stated.

The Team has suspended its research also on California seismicity to protest Internet censorship, Google’s manipulation of  information, theft of FIRE-EARTH intellectual property and other reasons, as previously stated.

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IMPORTANT NOTICE: FIRE-EARTH Earthquake Forecasts

For detailed earthquake forecasts tune into FIRE-EARTH Reports daily @ 06:32UTC.

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Related Links

• Red Alert as Bardarbunga Volcano Erupts August 23, 2014
• Thousands of tremors recorded near Bárðarbunga volcano August 20, 2014
• Seismic activity – last 48 hours + 3D Map of the Tremors
• Bárðarbunga Webcam

 

Red Alert as Bardarbunga Volcano Erupts

MAJOR DISASTERS/ SIGNIFICANT EVENTS
VOLCANIC ERUPTION
RED ALERT (AVIATION)
BARDARBUNGA VOLCANO ERUPTING
SCENARIOS 023, 09, 08, 07
.

Bardarbunga erupting subglacially

The Icelandic Met Office (IMO) has issued a red alert for aviation, warning that Bardarbunga volcano could spew significant ash emissions.

A small sub-glacial eruption is currently occurring at Bardarbunga, said the Met Office.

“Warning: It is believed that a small subglacial lava-eruption has begun under the Dyngjujökull glacier. The aviation color code for the Bárðarbunga volcano has been changed from orange to red.”

The red alert is Iceland’s highest warning level on their five-point scale.

On Wednesday, authorities evacuated hundreds of people from several areas  north of the volcano, fearing that the volcano could erupt and cause significant flooding and mudslides.

Bardarbunga, a part of a large volcanic system,  sits under up to 400 meters of ice, the Vatnajokull glacier, in central Iceland.

The following update is provided by IMO

23rd August 2014 14:10UTC –  small eruption Occurring beneath  Dyngjujökull

• A small lava-eruption has been detected under the Dyngjujökull glacier.
• An estimated 150-400 meters of ice covers the area.
• The aviation color code for the Bárðarbunga volcano has been changed from orange to red.
• At 14:04UTC, an earthquake measuring 4.5Mw occurred near the volcano.

Bardarbunga (Bárðarbunga Icelandic spelling), is a stratovolcano, located under the Vatnajökull glacier. It is the second highest mountain in Iceland, standing 2,010 meters a.s.l. The volcanic system that includes Bardarbunga is more than 200km long and 25km wide.

Vatnajökull

Vatnajökull (Glacier of Lakes), also known as the Vatna Glacier, is Iceland’s largest and most voluminous glacier, located in the south-east of the island. With an area of 13,600 km², Vatnajökull covers more than 8 percent of the country. It is also the largest ice cap in Europe by volume (3,100 km³).

Related Links

• Thousands of tremors recorded near Bárðarbunga volcano
• Seismic activity – last 48 hours + 3D Map of the Tremors
• Bárðarbunga Webcam

Global Disasters/ Significant Events – August 20, 2014

MAJOR DISASTERS/ SIGNIFICANT EVENTS
SCENARIOS 888, 817, 699, 505, 444, 111, 101, 100, 070, 023, 09, 08, 07, 05
.

Thousands of tremors recorded near Bárðarbunga volcano

Seismic activity continues around the Bárðarbunga volcano in the northwestern part of Vatnajökull glacier, with about 5,000 tremors recorded since Saturday. The largest quake so far measured 3.0Mw, officials said.

The seismicity is said to be the most intense ever recorded in the area. Most of the quakes are occurring at depths of 5 – 10km, said the Iceland Met Office.

Fearing a major eruption, authorities have evacuated an area north of the volcano, where severe flooding could occur as a result of the ice cap of the Vatnajökull glacier melting.

Related Links

• Seismic activity – last 48 hours + 3D Map of the Tremors
• Bárðarbunga Webcam

Dozens killed in Hiroshima landslides

An extreme rain event, said to be the equivalent of a month’s worth of rain, unleashed severe flooding and landslides killing at least 40 people in the outskirts of the Hiroshima in western Japan. About a dozen others are reported missing, and the death toll is expected to rise, police said.

A record 217mm of rain fell in just 3 hours in the northern part of the city, more than the average for the entire month of August, the local media reported.

The city’s fire department have reportedly admitted to their own incompetence for the large number of casualties: “Something went wrong in our analysis (of the emergency) … We failed to issue an evacuation advisory ahead of the disaster. Looking back, … this is something we need to amend.”

“In 1999, Hiroshima City and nearby Kure City were hit by similar landslides which killed more than 30 people,” said a report.

Meantime, flooding and mudslides have destroyed or damaged more than 2,100 homes and other buildings in Fukuchiyama City in Kyoto Prefecture, and Tanba City in neighboring Hyogo Prefecture in the Kansai region west of Honshu island.

Major Wildfires Burning across Western U.S.

About two dozen wildfires burning across California, Oregon and Washington state amid rising temperatures and worsening drought. Authorities say this is one of the worst wildfire seasons on record.

Thousands of gallons of oil spills from Duke Energy coal plant into Ohio River

At least 5,000 gallons of fuel oil spilled into Ohio River from a 60-year-old power plant owned by Duke Energy near Cincinnati, said the U.S. Coast Guard.

The Ohio River stretches more than 1,500km from Pennsylvania to Illinois and provides drinking water for at least 3 million people, said the Ohio River Foundation (ORF).

It is also a major artery for shipping agricultural produce by barge from the eastern United States to export terminals on the Gulf Coast.

The Ohio River is now the worst toxic water dump in the U.S., said ORF.

• Polluters dumped 31 million pounds of toxic chemicals into Ohio River in 2007, making it the most toxic river in the U.S.
• Violations of the Clean Water Act are going unprosecuted.
• About half of lakes and reservoirs are contaminated above EPA “safe levels,” said ORF.

“Amazingly, in some cases this is permitted pollution; however, the number of permit violations appears to be growing.”

VolcanoWatch Weekly [2 July 2010]

Summary of Weekly Volcanic Activity Report

[Source: SI/USGS]

New Activity/Unrest (23 June – 29 June 2010)

• Gorely, Southern Kamchatka (Russia) —  [Group J]
• Pagan, Mariana Islands (Central Pacific) — [Group L]
• Tungurahua, Ecuador [Group D]
• Ulawun, New Britain   [Group K]

NOTE: More volcanic activity/unrest may be expected in areas/groups shown in red.

Map of Volcanoes. Background Map: University of Michigan. Designed and enhanced by Fire Earth Blog. Click image to enlarge.

Ongoing Activity:

• Dukono, Halmahera
• Eyjafjallajökull, Southern Iceland
• Karymsky, Eastern Kamchatka (Russia)
• Kilauea, Hawaii (USA)
• Kirishima, Kyushu
• Kliuchevskoi, Central Kamchatka (Russia)
• Sakura-jima, Kyushu
• Shiveluch, Central Kamchatka (Russia)

For additional information, see source.

Related Links:

• Taal Volcano Alert Raised to Level 2 ‎
• Philippines Taal Volcano Could Erupt Anytime

Other Volcano Links:

• VolcanoWatch [1 June 2010]
• Messages From Earth’s Powerhouse
• Weekly Volcano Watch: 19 March 2009

• A New Era of Intense Volcanic Unrest May Have Begun
• Tonga’s Metis Shoal may be erupting
• Rumble III Volcano “blew its top!”

FEWW Volcanic Activity Forecast

• Sumatra’s Mt Kerinci Erupts
• Volcano Watch Weekly: 23 April 2009
• Weekly Volcano Watch: 16 April 2009
• Weekly Volcano Watch: 2 April 2009

• FEWW Volcano Links
• Volcanoes
• FEWW Earthquake Links

• Earth’s Climate: A Solar Powered System

Other Related Links:

• U.S. Volcano Status Map
• Elevated Activity Page
• U.S. Volcano Webcams

Eyjafjallajökull – Shock Waves Caught on Video

Eyjafjallajökull Still Erupting, Lava Flowing, Plume Staying Low

The following link to an Icelandic site, Visir,  shows a brief video footage of shock waves emitted by the Eyjafjallajökull Glacier volcano.

• Video footage of the shock waves (the commentary is in Icelandic)

Latest image of eruption at Eyjafjallajökull

This image of steam and ash spewing out of the Eyjafjallajökull Glacier is dated April 27, 2o1o and is one of the latest image of eruption posted  at the Institute of Earth Sciences, Nordic Volcanic Center. The moderators are still treating materials from the website as subject to copyright.  For more images visit their website.

Related Links:

• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption Portents Catastrophic Sequence
• Lava finally flows from Icelandic scientific band
• The Next Icelandic Volcano Likely to Erupt
• Iceland’s Bárdarbunga May Be Erupting
• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption Links Page [This page contains a comprehensive index of links to info on Eyjafjallajökull.]

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Serial No 1,640. Starting April 2010, each entry on this blog has a unique serial number. If any of the numbers are missing, it may mean that the corresponding entry has been blocked by Google/the authorities in your country. Please drop us a line if you detect any anomaly/missing number(s).

The Next Icelandic Volcano Likely to Erupt

A Probability Analysis of the Icelandic Volcano Most Likely to Erupt Next

The pattern of seismicity in Iceland has remained almost unchanged from two days ago, while the eruption at Eyjafjallajökull has become less explosive.

Loads of magma seem to be flowing under the land of Ice and Fire [Iceland,] but where is it all going?

In Iceland’s Bárdarbunga May Be Erupting posted on April 20,2010, Fire Earth Moderators said they believed Iceland’s Bárdarbunga May Be Erupting or is about to Erupt.

Seismic events occurring between Apr 18 – 20,2010

Source: Iceland Met Office. © Veðurstofa Íslands

Seismic events occurring between Apr 20 – 22,2010

Source: Iceland Met Office. © Veðurstofa Íslands

The moderators have now allocated the following probabilities of eruption to each of the volcanoes/volcano groups previously listed:

1. Probability of a second Icelandic volcano erupting this year: > 80 percent
2. Kolbeinsey ridge (Last erupted: 1999) or a new submarine fissure in its vicinity – probability of eruption: 80 percent
   
3. Krafla (1984)/ Theistareykjarbunga (< 1000 BC)/ Tjörnes fracture zone (1868) – probability of eruption: 52percent
4. Askja (1961) – probability of eruption: 66 percent
5. Bárðarbunga (1903) and neighboring Grímsvötn (2004) – probability of eruption: 84 percent
6. Grímsnes (> 3500 BC) – 40 percent
   
7. Reykjanes (1879) – 50 percent
   
8. Eyjafjallajökull – probability that the current round of eruption would last more than 30 days: 34 percent
   
9. Katla – probability of eruption: 64 percent
10. Other Icelandic volcanoes not mentioned on this list: probability of eruption: less than 40 percent

A Map of Iceland Volcanoes. Click image to enlarge.

Bárdarbunga, one of the most active volcanoes in Iceland, is a massive volcano with a  700-m-deep caldera which lies beneath the NW Vatnajökull icecap.  A fissure eruption at Thjorsarhraun produced about 21 km³ of lava, the largest known Holocene lava flow on the planet.

Powerful eruptions may occur among the volcanoes lying along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The plate tectonics could also translate into increased seismicity along the divergent plate boundary and boundaries of neighboring plates.

Related Links

• Iceland’s Bárdarbunga May Be Erupting
• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption – UPDATE 21 April
• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption Links Page

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Serial No 1,607. Starting April 2010, each entry on this blog has a unique serial number. If any of the numbers are missing, it may mean that the corresponding entry has been blocked by Google/the authorities in your country. Please drop us a line if you detect any anomaly/missing number(s).

Iceland’s Bárdarbunga May Be Erupting

Fire Earth Moderators Believe Iceland’s Bárdarbunga May Be Erupting or is about to Erupt.

If our long-distance assessment is correct, the next eruption at Bárdarbunga/ Grímsvötn or any of the other 6 volcanoes listed below could spell a major disaster for Iceland.

Iceland seismic record for the past 48 hours shows 7  separate cluster of quakes in the vicinity of the following volcanoes (See image below)

1. Kolbeinsey ridge (Last erupted: 1999)
   
2. Krafla (1984)/ Theistareykjarbunga (< 1000 BC)/ Tjörnes fracture zone (1868)
3. Askja (1961)
4. Bárðarbunga (1903) and neighboring Grímsvötn (2004)
5. Grímsnes (> 3500 BC)
6. Reykjanes (1879)
7. Eyjafjallajökull (Currently ongoing)

Bárdarbunga, one of the most active volcanoes in Iceland, is a massive volcano with a  700-m-deep caldera which lies beneath the NW Vatnajökull icecap.  A fissure eruption at Thjorsarhraun produced about 21 km³ of lava, the largest known Holocene lava flow on the planet.

Powerful eruptions may occur among the volcanoes lying along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The plate tectonics could also translate into increased seismicity along the divergent plate boundary and boundaries of neighboring plates.

Source: Iceland Met Office. © Veðurstofa Íslands

Original Caption:  Map showing the Mid-Atlantic Ridge splitting Iceland and separating the North American and Eurasian Plates. The map also shows Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, the Thingvellir area, and the locations of some of Iceland’s active volcanoes (red triangles), including Krafla.

The consequences of plate movement are easy to see around Krafla Volcano, in the northeastern part of Iceland. Here, existing ground cracks have widened and new ones appear every few months. From 1975 to 1984, numerous episodes of rifting (surface cracking) took place along the Krafla fissure zone. Some of these rifting events were accompanied by volcanic activity; the ground would gradually rise 1-2 m before abruptly dropping, signaling an impending eruption. Between 1975 and 1984, the displacements caused by rifting totaled about 7 m.  Source: USGS.

Original Caption: Aerial view of the area around Thingvellir, Iceland, showing a fissure zone (in shadow) that is an on-land exposure of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Right of the fissure, the North American Plate is pulling westward away from the Eurasian Plate (left of fissure). This photograph encompasses the historical tourist area of Thingvellir, the site of Iceland’s first parliament, called the Althing, founded around the year A.D. 930. Large building (upper center) is a hotel for visitors. (Photograph by Oddur Sigurdsson, National Energy Authority, Iceland. Source: USGS.

Continued …

Related Links – Fire-Earth entries on Eyjafjallajökull and other useful  sources:

• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption Links Page
  

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Serial No 1,597. Starting April 2010, each entry on this blog has a unique serial number. If any of the numbers are missing, it may mean that the corresponding entry has been blocked by Google/the authorities in your country. Please drop us a line if you detect any anomaly/missing number(s).