No Indication That The Eruption Will Stop Any Time Soon

In an interview with RÚV, Kristín Jónsdóttir, earthquake hazards coordinator at the Icelandic Met Office, says that despite changes in volcanic activity, there are no signs that the eruption is ending in Geildingadalur.

The eruption site is closed to the public today due to wildfires and a slow northerly wind which means gas could accumulate on the hiking trail.

Ash in my hair, just don’t care

Kristín Jónsdóttir says that people who have nearby the volcanoes recently have been covered in ash and have found lava chunks in their hair after returning home.

“The most likely explanation for this is changes just below the craters where the magma accumulates. That area is changing. As that area expands or shrinks, the gas can accumulate in bubbles and cause magma jet activity, ” says Kristín.

The production of the lava is even and there are no signs that the eruption is coming to an end. The magma rises from a depth of 15-20 kilometers and flows up in a straight channel, but at a depth of about 100 meters a magma collection site has now been created in some kind of chamber.

Another earthquake on the way?

According to Kristín, there is a chance that a magnitude 6,5 earthquake could be on the way due to seismic activity.

Kristín says: “This is not a catastrophe. In such an earthquake there is furniture that moves out of place and if something is badly attached it can fall down but we are not talking about any disasters. But if people have not done well enough on the inside, then there is a risk that they will get hurt. ”