Yesterday evening, at 18:39, a powerful 3.7 magnitude quake hit Bárðarbunga volcano. It was followed by several other quakes, one a 2.5 magnitude earthquake, the Icelandic Meteorological Office reports.
Read more: Nearly a hundred smaller quakes have followed yesterday's powerful quake S. of Þingvellir
The quakes took place in the south-east part of the caldera of the giant volcano, hidden benath Vatnajökull glacier. Earlier in the day a powerful earthquake was detected south of Þingvallavatn lake in South Iceland, followed by a swarm of nearly a hundred quakes of varying sizes.
What is going on?
Both Bárðarbunga and the Þingvellir rift zone are very active, seeing frequent earthquakes. However, the two quakes are most likely unrelated and caused by separate developments.
Bárðarbunga has seen constant seismic activity since the 2014-2015 Holuhraun eruption, north of the central volcano. Dozens of powerful earthquakes, larger than 3 on the Richter scale, have been detected. The latest major quake, larger than 3 on the Richter scale, took place on December 31. The seismic activity is most likely caused by the re-filling of the magma chambers of the sub-glacial Bárðarbunga, which is the heart of the most powerful volcanic system in Iceland.
Read more: Scientists keep a close eye on Bárðarbunga volcano as seismic activity keeps growing
In the past the Bárðarbunga system has seen drawn out episodes of activity, each lasting several years with intermittent eruptions as well as increasing geothermal and seismic activity. However, geologists at the Icelandic Meteorological Office have said there are no immediate signs of impending volcanic activity. It is unclear whether the eruption in Holuhraun was the end of the current period of activity, or whether the system is simply gathering steam for the next eruption.
The activity south of Þingvallavatn lake is caused by the drifting of the continental tectonic plates, as the entire Þingvellir region sits inside a rift valley created by the drifting of the plates.
Yesterday evening, at 18:39, a powerful 3.7 magnitude quake hit Bárðarbunga volcano. It was followed by several other quakes, one a 2.5 magnitude earthquake, the Icelandic Meteorological Office reports.
Read more: Nearly a hundred smaller quakes have followed yesterday's powerful quake S. of Þingvellir
The quakes took place in the south-east part of the caldera of the giant volcano, hidden benath Vatnajökull glacier. Earlier in the day a powerful earthquake was detected south of Þingvallavatn lake in South Iceland, followed by a swarm of nearly a hundred quakes of varying sizes.
What is going on?
Both Bárðarbunga and the Þingvellir rift zone are very active, seeing frequent earthquakes. However, the two quakes are most likely unrelated and caused by separate developments.
Bárðarbunga has seen constant seismic activity since the 2014-2015 Holuhraun eruption, north of the central volcano. Dozens of powerful earthquakes, larger than 3 on the Richter scale, have been detected. The latest major quake, larger than 3 on the Richter scale, took place on December 31. The seismic activity is most likely caused by the re-filling of the magma chambers of the sub-glacial Bárðarbunga, which is the heart of the most powerful volcanic system in Iceland.
Read more: Scientists keep a close eye on Bárðarbunga volcano as seismic activity keeps growing
In the past the Bárðarbunga system has seen drawn out episodes of activity, each lasting several years with intermittent eruptions as well as increasing geothermal and seismic activity. However, geologists at the Icelandic Meteorological Office have said there are no immediate signs of impending volcanic activity. It is unclear whether the eruption in Holuhraun was the end of the current period of activity, or whether the system is simply gathering steam for the next eruption.
The activity south of Þingvallavatn lake is caused by the drifting of the continental tectonic plates, as the entire Þingvellir region sits inside a rift valley created by the drifting of the plates.
