Earthquake And Aftershocks Detected Near Bárðarbunga

Data from the Icelandic Met Office shows that an earthquake of a magnitude of 3.2 was detected at 6:51 this morning approximately 1.7 kilometres north of Bárðarbunga.

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The quake originated 6.1 kilometres beneath the surface, and was followed by several aftershocks, although none of them at a magnitude greater than 2.

Speaking with RÚV, natural disasters specialist Bjarki Kaldalóns Friis told reporters that this seismic activity does not indicate an impending eruption. Rather, it is likely the result of the volcanic system still stabilising itself after the 2014 Hóluhraun eruption, which is a part of the Bárðarbunga system.

The Holuhraun eruption was a fantastic spectacle, replete with lava plumes some 60 metres tall. The remote location of this fissure eruption also meant no people, animals nor property were in any danger; rather, it simply had visual appeal, and indeed attracted photographers the world over.