Yet another earthquake struck at Bárðarbunga volcano yesterday (31 May) according to The Icelandic Met Office (IMO). Earthquakes have been picking up pace in the huge sub-glacial caldera, located in Vatnajökull glacier in the central highlands.
The volcanic system, which has the Bárðarbunga caldera as its centre, is one of the largest on the globe. The last eruption in the system ended on 27 February 2015, having lasted 181 days, from 31 August 2014. The eruption was located at the Holuhraun lava field, in an ice-free zone about 41 km (25.5 mi) north of Bárðarbunga, but was directly connected to subsidence in the center of the sub-glacial caldera.
Read more: The eruption in Holuhraun is over
Bárðarbunga is the second highest mountain in Iceland, measuring 2,009 metres (6,591 ft) above sea level. It is probably the most powerful volcano in the country. The system and fissure swarm of the caldera is 190 km (118 mi) long and 25 km (12.5 mi) wide.
Bárðarbunga has erupted on average once every fifty years, with large eruptions every 250-600 years. The largest known volcanic eruption in Iceland after settlement took place in Bárðarbunga in 1477. It was one of the most powerful eruptions in the past 10,000 years in Iceland.
An eruption in Bárðarbunga could pose significant challenges for airline travel in the Northern hemisphere. Scientists keep monitoring the volcano closely.
Around 300 earthquakes last week
Last week (23 to 29 May) IMO's South Iceland Lowland (SIL) earthquake monitoring network picked up around 300 earthquakes around the country. The largest earthquakes of the week were of magnitudes 3.4 and 3.3, both located in Bárðarbunga.
Why this action?
This kind of activity is not uncommon. The reason for Iceland being constantly shaken and stirred is that the country lies on the divergent boundary between the Eurasian plate and the North American plate. It also lies above a hotspot, the Iceland plume, which is believed to have caused the formation of the island some 16 to 18 million years ago. Accordingly we have repeated eruptions and seismic activity, and, of course, an abundant of geothermal energy.
What is the SIL system?
IMO’s automatic SIL monitoring network has been in operation for almost two decades. Besides evaluating source function and mechanism information carried from below by micro-earthquakes, it provides near real-time information that is used as the basis for an alert system.
Yet another earthquake struck at Bárðarbunga volcano yesterday (31 May) according to The Icelandic Met Office (IMO). Earthquakes have been picking up pace in the huge sub-glacial caldera, located in Vatnajökull glacier in the central highlands.
The volcanic system, which has the Bárðarbunga caldera as its centre, is one of the largest on the globe. The last eruption in the system ended on 27 February 2015, having lasted 181 days, from 31 August 2014. The eruption was located at the Holuhraun lava field, in an ice-free zone about 41 km (25.5 mi) north of Bárðarbunga, but was directly connected to subsidence in the center of the sub-glacial caldera.
Read more: The eruption in Holuhraun is over
Bárðarbunga is the second highest mountain in Iceland, measuring 2,009 metres (6,591 ft) above sea level. It is probably the most powerful volcano in the country. The system and fissure swarm of the caldera is 190 km (118 mi) long and 25 km (12.5 mi) wide.
Bárðarbunga has erupted on average once every fifty years, with large eruptions every 250-600 years. The largest known volcanic eruption in Iceland after settlement took place in Bárðarbunga in 1477. It was one of the most powerful eruptions in the past 10,000 years in Iceland.
An eruption in Bárðarbunga could pose significant challenges for airline travel in the Northern hemisphere. Scientists keep monitoring the volcano closely.
Around 300 earthquakes last week
Last week (23 to 29 May) IMO's South Iceland Lowland (SIL) earthquake monitoring network picked up around 300 earthquakes around the country. The largest earthquakes of the week were of magnitudes 3.4 and 3.3, both located in Bárðarbunga.
Why this action?
This kind of activity is not uncommon. The reason for Iceland being constantly shaken and stirred is that the country lies on the divergent boundary between the Eurasian plate and the North American plate. It also lies above a hotspot, the Iceland plume, which is believed to have caused the formation of the island some 16 to 18 million years ago. Accordingly we have repeated eruptions and seismic activity, and, of course, an abundant of geothermal energy.
What is the SIL system?
IMO’s automatic SIL monitoring network has been in operation for almost two decades. Besides evaluating source function and mechanism information carried from below by micro-earthquakes, it provides near real-time information that is used as the basis for an alert system.
