Both of Iceland's most powerful and feared volcanoes, Bárðarbunga and Katla, trembled this morning, the Icelandic Meteorological Office reports. A 3.0 magnitude quake was detected in the Katla caldera, beneath Mýrdalsjökull glacier at 6:33 AM. The quake was followed by a swarm of more than 30 smaller quakes. Katla has been very active in the past 24 hours. The IMO has detected more than 60 quakes in the caldera since Sunday afternoon.
Then at 9:37AM a solitary 3.9 magnitude quake was detected by the IMO in the Bárðarbunga caldera beneath Vatnajökull glacier.
Both Katla and Bárðarbunga have been very active in the past few months. Bárðarbunga has been very active since the 2014 Holuhraun eruption in the Central Highlands to the north of Vatnajökull. The seismic activity is believed to be caused by the re-filling of the central magma chamber of the Bárðarbunga system. Katla has similarly been very active. Geologists believe the volcano, which has a history of very regular activity, is long overdue for an eruption.
Earlier this month Katla and Bárðarbunga trembled following a major earthquake swarm south of Þingvellir National Park.
Read more: The powerful earthquakes in Iceland's largest volcanoes and S. of Þingvellir not connected
Both of Iceland's most powerful and feared volcanoes, Bárðarbunga and Katla, trembled this morning, the Icelandic Meteorological Office reports. A 3.0 magnitude quake was detected in the Katla caldera, beneath Mýrdalsjökull glacier at 6:33 AM. The quake was followed by a swarm of more than 30 smaller quakes. Katla has been very active in the past 24 hours. The IMO has detected more than 60 quakes in the caldera since Sunday afternoon.
Then at 9:37AM a solitary 3.9 magnitude quake was detected by the IMO in the Bárðarbunga caldera beneath Vatnajökull glacier.
Both Katla and Bárðarbunga have been very active in the past few months. Bárðarbunga has been very active since the 2014 Holuhraun eruption in the Central Highlands to the north of Vatnajökull. The seismic activity is believed to be caused by the re-filling of the central magma chamber of the Bárðarbunga system. Katla has similarly been very active. Geologists believe the volcano, which has a history of very regular activity, is long overdue for an eruption.
Earlier this month Katla and Bárðarbunga trembled following a major earthquake swarm south of Þingvellir National Park.
Read more: The powerful earthquakes in Iceland's largest volcanoes and S. of Þingvellir not connected
