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 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