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Posts Tagged ‘Katla volcano’

Katla’s ice cap is melting

Posted by feww on July 9, 2011

Melting of Katla’s ice cap is causing flooding near the volcano: Iceland Civil Protection Agency

Flooding may have been caused either by a small eruption, or geothermal heat emitted from the volcano, the authorities said.

Katla is one of Iceland’s largest and most active volcanoes. Located east of the Eyjafjallajökull glacier, near the southern end of Iceland’s eastern volcanic zone, Katla is buried beneath the Myrdalsjökull icecap. Its peak reaches 1,512 meters.

Map of Iceland’s Recent Earthquakes


Source: Icelandic Met Office. Image may be subject to copyright.


Katla’s last significant eruption occurred in 1928. The volcano is credited with sixteen major eruptions between 930 and 1918 occurring at intervals of 40–80 years.


Katla volcano, located near the southern end of Iceland’s eastern volcanic zone, is mostly hidden beneath the Myrdalsjökull icecap, which extends across the top of the photo. Valley glaciers descend from the summit icecap toward the coastal plain in this aerial view from the SSW. Explosive eruptions from Katla, among the largest tephra-producers in Iceland during historical time, have frequently been accompanied by damaging jökulhlaups, or glacier-outburst floods. Photo by Oddur Sigurdsson, 1985 (Icelandic National Energy Authority). Caption by GVP.

Iceland Volcanoes – Activity Forecast

FIRE-EARTH will await further development before updating the following forecast, if needed.

FIRE-EARTH Forecast: Iceland Volcanic Activity

Probability of Volcanic Activity in Iceland

Simulations of FIRE-EARTH Geophysical Model (EarthModel) show that a major volcanic eruption may occur in Iceland by October 2011 with a certainty of 0.7 [P= 72%]

Iceland’s Volcanic Eruptions since 1902

  • 2011 Grímsvötn
  • 2010 Eyjafjallajökull
  • 2004 Grímsvötn
  • 2000 Hekla
  • 1998 Grímsvötn
  • 1996 Gjálp
  • 1991 Hekla
  • 1984 Krafla
  • 1983 Grímsvötn
  • 1981 Krafla 2 eruptions
  • 1981 Hekla
  • 1980 Hekla
  • 1980 Krafla 3 eruptions
  • 1977 Krafla 2 eruptions
  • 1975 Krafla
  • 1973 subaquatic eruption 5 km south of Landeyjar coast
  • 1973 Heimaey
  • 1970 Hekla
  • 1963-1967 Surtsey
  • 1961 Askja
  • 1947 Hekla
  • 1938 Grímsvötn
  • 1934 Grímsvötn
  • 1933 Grímsvötn
  • 1929 Askja
  • 1927 Askja
  • 1926 northeast of Eldey
  • 1924 Askja
  • 1923 Askja
  • 1922 Askja 2 eruptions
  • 1922 Grímsvötn
  • 1921 Askja
  • 1918 Katla
  • 1913 Austan Heklu
  • 1910 Þórðarhyrna
  • 1903 Þórðarhyrna
  • 1902 Grímsvötn

List of Iceland’s volcanic eruptions since 1902 sourced from Icelandic Met Office Website.

Recent Volcanic Activity [Source: GVP]

29 June-5 July 2011

New Activity/Unrest: 

Ongoing Activity:

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Posted in iceland volcanoes | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

Eyjafjallajökull – Shock Waves Caught on Video

Posted by feww on April 29, 2010

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.

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.

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Posted in Eyjafjallajökull, Eyjafjallajökull eruption, eyjafjallajokull map, Eyjafjöll, volcano | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Eyjafjallajökull Eruption Portents Catastrophic Sequence

Posted by feww on April 26, 2010

Three Reasons Why the Moderators Believe a  Sequence of Catastrophic Eruptions May Occur in Iceland

  1. It would be consistent with the resurgence of volcanic activity globally, which may have started recently.
  2. Historically, the eruptions at Eyjafjallajökull have been associated with subsequent eruptions at a larger volcano, usually Katla.
  3. Volcanic eruptions are a component of the planet’s defense mechanism.

In our opinion, the question is no longer “if” but “how soon” a cataclysmic event, or indeed a series of events would occur.

The answer, we believe, is found in EDRO Collapse Model.  As of 2010, Google Civilizations are about half way through the human-induced antiphase.

Status Update:

Eruption at Eyjafjallajökull continues unabated. No significant change reported since previous update.


An image of the eruption at Eyjafjallajökull (2010.04.24 – Þórdís Högnadóttir – 2). No other information available in English. Source: Institute of Earth Sciences. Image may be subject to copyright. Older images …

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Posted in eyjafjalla, Eyjafjallajökull, Eyjafjallajökull eruption, eyjafjallajoekull volcano, Iceland volcano, Icelandic volcano | Tagged: , , , | 5 Comments »

Eyjafjallajökull eruption melts glacier

Posted by feww on April 15, 2010

Katla volcano may be next in line to erupt: Fire-Earth

New volcanic eruption at Eyjafjallajökull melts Gígjökull  glacial tongue, causing extensive flooding in Markarfljót river, south of Iceland

Eruption at Eyjafjöll is consistent with recent global patterns of volcanism and tectonism. Wild eruptions may occur in Iceland and elsewhere—Fire-Earth [March 22]


Eyjafjallajökull erupts, causing extensive flooding. Photo credit: MBL-IS. Image may be subject to copyright. Click image to enlarge.

Geologists who flew over Eyjafjallajökull glacier said a deep fault trough has occurred  around the crater below the summit of the glacier.

The gap measures about 500 meters, a report said. However, the geologists were unable to detect any vents or signs of eruption due to the cloud cover.

The eruption which occurred in the top crater, buried about 200m beneath the ice, ejected a large plume of volcanic ash that reached a height of about 6,700m (22,000 feet) and there was ash fall to the east of Fimmvörduháls.

The glacial river has flooded at a rate of about 1,000 cubic meters per second, a report said.

Air Traffic Suspended North of Norway

Norway has suspended air traffic in its northern airspace due to the threat of engine damage from the impact of volcanic ash that has traveled far covering a vast area after the eruption at Eyjafjallajökull glacier. The ash and smoke particles in the air have also reduced visibility considerably, a report said.


Maps of Ash Drift from Eyjafjallajökull Eruption. Source: RUV Island. Image may be subject to copyright. Click image to enlarge.

“We have closed the aviation area between Bodoe and Tromsoe and are considering closing the aviation area all the way south to Trondheim,” Sindre Aanonsen, spokesperson for the Norwegian air traffic control center said to reporters.

Fimmvörduháls Eruption

The eruption at Fimmvörduháls, which began on March 20,  has extended the height of the mountain by about 82 meters, geologists were reported as saying.


Eyjafjallajökull volcano’s lava fountains (April 13, 2010). Photo: Patrick Koster, Barcroft/Fame Pictures/ via National Geographic. Image may be subject to copyright. Click image to enlarge.

Earlier Videos

More Photos:

Technical information:

Webcams – Volcanoes in Iceland

Latest Images (RUV): http://www.ruv.is/flokkar/hamfarir

Related Headline News

Related Sites in Iceland (English)

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Serial No 1,574. 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 the authorities/Google in your country. Please drop us a line if you detect any anomaly/missing number(s).

Posted in Eyjafjallajökull, Fimmvörduháls, Iceland volcano, volcanic eruption, volcano | Tagged: , , , , | 4 Comments »

Eyjafjöll Eruption – LATEST

Posted by feww on March 26, 2010

Latest available images of Eyjafjöll eruption

The following images pertain to Iceland’s 0.5-km long volcanic fissure on the northern side of Fimmvörðuháls, east of the Eyjafjallajökull ice cap, which began erupting on March 20, 2010.

Background:


Lava flow map 1, March 22, 2010. For credit see inset. Click image to enlarge.


Lava flow map 2, March 24, 2010. For credit see inset. Click image to enlarge.


Aerial photo of Fimmvörðuháls on Eyjafjallajökull, 22nd March 2010, between 8 and 9 o’clock. Steam is caused by lava melting snow. © Ólafur Sigurjónsson


From Heljarkambur, looking down into Hrunagil, 22nd March 2010 at 16:00. Lava flows into the gully. The snow is covered with ash. Photo: Einar Kjartansson. Image may be subject to copyright. Source: Icelandic Met Office


Hrunagil 15th July 2007, just south of Heljarkambur. Mudcovered ice at the bottom of the gully. Photo: Einar Kjartansson.  Image may be subject to copyright. Source: Icelandic Met Office.


The new mountain rises behind the crater. Photo by Páll Stefánsson. (Undated, but cover story published on March 26, 2010.) Source: Iceland Review. Image may be subject to copyright.


Automatic Earthquake Location Map of Iceland.  Most of the recent seismic activity has occurred near the  Eyjafjallajokull Glacier, with a few shock occurring close to the position of Katla, which is buried under the Myrdalsjökull icecap.  ©The Icelandic Meteorological Office

Videos:

More Detailed Information:

Related Links:

Iceland Review (Online Publication in English)

Related Icelandic Institution

Posted in Eyjafjöll, Eyjafjöll volcano, volcanism, volcano, volcano eruprted | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments »

Icelandic Volcano Erupts – VIDEO UPDATE

Posted by feww on March 23, 2010

Eyjafjöll Volcanic System Erupts

Eyjafjallajökull volcanic system erupted in the south of Iceland, forcing up to five hundred people to evacuate the area, prompting the authorities to declare a state of emergency and imposing a NO FLY Zone  over much of Icelandic airspace.

Background:

To watch the latest video of ongoing eruption at Eyjafjöll, recorded by RUV Iceland, Click Here (WMV)

Posted in eruption video, Eyjafjöll, Eyjafjöll volcano, Tephra fall, volcanism | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 6 Comments »

Icelandic Volcano Erupts – UPDATE

Posted by feww on March 22, 2010

Eruption at Eyjafjöll is consistent with recent global patterns of volcanism and tectonism. Wild eruptions may occur in Iceland and elsewhere—Fire-Earth

Eyjafjöll Volcanic System Erupts

Eyjafjallajökull volcanic system erupted in the south of Iceland, forcing up to five hundred people to evacuate the area, prompting the authorities to declare a state of emergency and imposing a NO FLY Zone  over much of Icelandic airspace.

Background: Volcano erupts near Eyjafjallajoekull, Iceland

At least three flights en-route Reykjavik from the US were ordered back to Boston, and up to 1,500 are currently stranded in the Reykjavik airport.

Where the Eruption Occurred


Location of the Eruptive Fissure. Source: Nordic Volcanological Center. Click image to enlarge.

How Eruption Occurred

Eruption began at 23:52UTC on 20 March 2010 at  the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic system (also known as Eyjafjöll volcano). A red cloud appeared above the volcano, which lightened up the sky above the eruptive fissure. “The eruption was preceded with intense seismicity and high rates of deformation in the weeks before the eruption, in association with magma recharging of the volcano. Immediately prior to the eruption the depth of seismicity had become shallow, but was not significantly enhanced from what it had been in the previous weeks. Deformation was occurring at rates of up to a centimetre a day since March 4 at continuous GPS sites installed within 12 km from the eruptive site.” IESUI reported.

“The eruption broke out with fire fountains and Hawaiian eruptive style on about 500 m long NE-SW oriented eruptive fissure at N63º38.1′, W19º26.4′ on the northeast shoulder of the volcano at an elevation of about 1000 m. It was observed from air from 4-7 A.M. on March 21. Lava flows short distance from the eruptive site, and minor eruption plume at elevation less than 1 km was deflected by wind to the west. Volcanic explosive index (VEI) is 1 or less. Tephra fall is minor or insignificant. The eruption occurs just outside the ice cap of Eyjafjallajökull, and no ice melting is occurring at present.”


Surface temperature satellite image taken by MODIS shows the location of the eruption. Source: NASA via Nordic Volcanological Center. Click image to enlarge.


 Source: Nordic Volcanological Center. Click image to enlarge.

The eruption occurred at a fissure on a 2 km wide pass of ice-free land between Eyjafjallajökull and its large neighbor Katla volcano which is buried under Myrdalsjökull ice cap. “Katla volcano is known for powerful subglacial phreatomagmatic eruptions producing basaltic tephra layers with volumes ranging from ~0.01 to more than 1 cubic kilometer.” Institute of Earth Sciences at University of Iceland (IESUI) reported.

Eyjafjallajökull is known to have erupted at least three times in the last 1100 years (settlement of Iceland). “The most recent began in December 1821 and lasted intermittently for more than a year. The neighbouring volcano Katla erupted then on 26 June 1823. Other eruptions include an eruption in 1612 or 1613, and about 920 A.D.”

Eyjafjallajökull is known for several episodes of unrest, “with documented sill intrusions in 1994 and 1999.”


The 2.5-km-wide summit caldera of Eyjafjöll located west of Katla volcano. Photo by Oddur Sigurdsson, 1992 (Icelandic National Energy Authority). Click image to enlarge.


Seismic Activity

Eyjafjallajökull has been experiencing intensive Seismic activity since late February with most of the shocks occurring at 7 to 10 km depth. “On March 19th a seismic swarm began east of the top crater, originating between 4 and 7 km depth.” Iceland Met Office reported.

“On March 19th a seismic swarm, began east of the top crater, originating between 4 and 7 km depth. The activity migrated eastwards and towards the surface on Saturday, March 20th.”

What Local Experts Say

Scientists at Nordic Volcanological Center say further volcanic activity in the area may be imminent, based on the fact that three previous eruptions at Eyjafjallajokull had all primed the powerful Katla volcano to erupt.

“What we know is that an eruption in Eyjafjallajokull seems to be a trigger for Mt Katla,” geophysicist Pall Einarsson said.

“The volcano has been inflating since the beginning of the year, both rising and swelling, even though we were seeing increased seismic activity, it could have been months or years before we saw an eruption like this.”

Einarsson believes that an eruption at Mt Katla would be a much greater and more serious event because molten lava would melt the glacier causing large-scale flooding.

Geophysicist Magnus Gudmundsson says it’s impossible to predict how long the Eyjafjallajokull eruption could last. “It could end tomorrow, it could go on for a year or two, but this is a small eruption.”

More facts about Icelandic Volcanoes:

  • Mt Katla last erupted in 1918.
  • The most recent eruption at an Icelandic volcano occurred in 2004.
  • Eyjafjallajokull Volcanic System was dormant since 1821.
  • Iceland has experienced 21 eruptions in the past 50 years.
  • Only one of the 21 eruption caused serious damage  when a volcano erupted in Westmann islands in 1973.

Map of Iceland Earthquakes (Last 48 hours) – Icelandic Met Office



© Veðurstofa Íslands

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Posted in Eyjafjöll, Eyjafjöll volcano, Tephra fall, volcanism, volcano eruprted | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 10 Comments »

Volcano erupts near Eyjafjallajoekull, Iceland

Posted by feww on March 21, 2010

Eruption near Eyjafjallajoekull glacier first in 190 years

There were no reports of injuries or damage as a result of the  eruption, as of posting; however, a state of emergency has been declared in the townships near the Eyjafjallajokull glacier.

The towns of Fljotshlio and Markarfljot have been evacuated. NO fly zone has been imposed, covering much of Icelandic airspace.

Local experts are concerned that the eruption could trigger a larger and more dangerous eruption at Katla volcano which is located about 25 km to the east of the eruptive fissure.


Aerial photo shows molten lava venting  from a fissure near the Eyjafjallajokull glacier south of Iceland. The eruption ejected  molten lava and ash into the air early Sunday March 21, 2010. It was the first major eruption in the area in almost two centuries. (AP Photo/Ragnar Axelsson). Image may be subject to copyright. See Fire-Earth Fair Use Notice. Click image to enlarge.

“This was a rather small and peaceful eruption but we are concerned that it could trigger an eruption at the nearby Katla volcano, a vicious volcano that could cause both local and global damage,” said Pall Einarsson, a geophysicist at the University of Iceland’s Institute of Earth Science, AP reported.

“We estimate that no one is in danger in the area but we have started an evacuation plan and between 500 and 600 people are being evacuated,” Sigurgeir Gudmundsson of the Icelandic civil protections department told the AFP.

The eruption occurred about 23:30UTC Saturday (7:30 pm ET) near the Eyjafjallajokull glacier, Iceland.

The eruption was first believed to have occurred beneath the glacier, prompting fears of flooding that could potentially come from glacier melt, but aerial survey early Sunday showed that the eruption had actually occurred close to but not beneath the glacier.

Eyjafjallajoekullis is one of Iceland’s smaller glaciers


Map of Iceland with the location of Eyjafjallajoekull glacier marked. Click image to enlarge.

“The eruption is a small one,” said Agust Gunnar Gylfason at the Civil Protection Department, AP reported.

“An eruption in and close to this glacier can be dangerous due to possible flooding if the fissure forms under the glacier,” he said. “That is why we initiated our disaster response plan.”

“Ash has already begun to fall in Fljotshlid and people in the surrounding area have reported seeing bright lights emanating from the glacier,” RUV public radio said on its website.

Iceland’s Civil Aviation authorities imposed a 120 nautical miles (220km) no-fly zone away from the volcano, which covers most of Icelandic airspace.

At least 3 Icelandair flights, bound for Reykjavik from the US, were  ordered to return to Boston, RUV radio reported.

The last volcanic eruption near Eyjafjallajoekull glacier occurred 189 years ago in 1821 and again in 1823.


Freeze frame from Iceland TV footage.

Geophysics

Located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a divergent tectonic plate boundary along the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, Iceland is geologically and volcanically active island with numerous volcanoes. Iceland has a population of about a third of a million with a total area of 103,000 sq km (39,769 sq mi).

Iceland is essentially an arctic desert dotted with with volcanoes, mountains and glaciers. A rim of agricultural areas in the lowlands sit close to the coastline. Iceland is made habitable by the Gulf Stream.

Eyjafjallajokull Glacier


Eyjafjallajokull Glacier – The glacier is located about 120km (75 miles) east of Reykjavik and covers a 1,666-m high volcano of the same name. GNU License.

Seismic Activity and Swelling observed since January

“This event has had a long prelude in earthquake activity,” Einarsson told The Associated Press. “The volcano has been inflating since the beginning of the year, both rising and swelling.

“One of the possible scenarios we’re looking at is that this small eruption could bring about something bigger.”

“This is the best possible place for an eruption,” said Tumi Gudumundsson, a geologist at the University of Iceland, relived that the Eyjafjoll volcano which is buried beneath  the Eyjafjallajoekull glacier had not erupted.


Automatic Earthquake Location Map of Iceland.  Most of the recent seismic activity has occurred near the  Eyjafjallajokull Glacier, with a few shock occurring close to the position of Katla, which is buried under the Myrdalsjökull icecap.  ©The Icelandic Meteorological Office

Explosion at Laki (Lakagigar) Volcanic fissure

A destructive eruption at Laki volcano, which occurred over an 8-month period in 1783–1784, ejected about 14 cubic km (3.4 cu mi) of basalt lava and plumes of poisonous hydrofluoric acid and sulfur-dioxide gas that lead to a famine in Iceland. About a quarter of the population and half of all livestock perished. Dust clouds covered most of Europe and parts of Eurasia and Africa for a year.

Few Facts about Icelandic Volcanoes

  • Iceland is home to about 130 volcanoes, 18 of which have erupted since about 1,000 years ago.
  • Eruption from Iceland’s volcanoes have produced more than 30 percent of the total lava output globally, since the 1500s.
  • The Laki eruption in 1783-1784 produced he largest volume of lava in the last 500 years.
  • An eruption of Eldgjá in 934 CE produced twice as much lava as did Laki.

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