A strong earthquake swarm was detected in the central caldera of the monster volcano Bárðarbunga shortly after six this morning. The most powerful quake was a 3.6 magnitude quake at 6:59 am. More than a dozen smaller quakes have been detected. According to seismologists at the Icelandic Meteorological Office there are no signs of any immediate volcanic activity.
According to the Seismic Monitoring System of the Icelandic Meteorological Office the epicenter of the 3.6 magnitude quake was at a depth of 3.0 km (1.9 mi), in the eastern part of the caldera, 7 km (4.3 mi) east-southeast of Bárðarbunga peak.
One of several major volcanoes in Vatnajökull, Bárðarbunga has been very active in the past year and a half.
Read more: Quick primer on Bárðarbunga, Iceland's most powerful volcano
Geophysicists believe the activity in Bárðarbunga is caused by magma being thrust from the earth's mantle up into the magma chambers beneath the volcano's caldera. The volcano has been showing increasing levels of activity for the past year or so, following the 2014-15 Holuhraun eruption at the northern edge of the system.
A strong earthquake swarm was detected in the central caldera of the monster volcano Bárðarbunga shortly after six this morning. The most powerful quake was a 3.6 magnitude quake at 6:59 am. More than a dozen smaller quakes have been detected. According to seismologists at the Icelandic Meteorological Office there are no signs of any immediate volcanic activity.
According to the Seismic Monitoring System of the Icelandic Meteorological Office the epicenter of the 3.6 magnitude quake was at a depth of 3.0 km (1.9 mi), in the eastern part of the caldera, 7 km (4.3 mi) east-southeast of Bárðarbunga peak.
One of several major volcanoes in Vatnajökull, Bárðarbunga has been very active in the past year and a half.
Read more: Quick primer on Bárðarbunga, Iceland's most powerful volcano
Geophysicists believe the activity in Bárðarbunga is caused by magma being thrust from the earth's mantle up into the magma chambers beneath the volcano's caldera. The volcano has been showing increasing levels of activity for the past year or so, following the 2014-15 Holuhraun eruption at the northern edge of the system.
