A geophysicist from the Icelandic Meteorological Office says a volcano under Vatnajökull glacier could erupt if the increased earthquake activity continues to develop, DV.is reports.
According to the DV report, the increased earthquake activity is in the northwest part of Vatnajökull glacier. Many small earthquakes have recently been measured there, in addition to two earthquakes south of Kistufell, measuring respectively 3.3 and 3.1 on the Richter scale.
“There are fault lines there and Bárðarbunga is an active volcanic area,” Sigurlaug Hjaltadóttir, a geophysicist at the Icelandic Meteorological Office, told DV.is. “If the situation continues to develop and the earthquakes become shallower, it could erupt.”
For the time being she said the earthquakes are rather deep and it is just as likely that nothing will happen. “There have been magma intrusions but nothing points to it being anything other than that. A similar event happened at the end of last year and there was probably even more activity then,” Sigurlaug said.
Still, she told DV that there is always increased danger when earthquake activity increases near an active volcano. “Nothing can be done but pay close attention,” she said.
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