magma
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Decreased Volcanic Activity At Sundhnúksgígar
Activity is decreasing at the site of the volcanic eruption that began Nov. 20 along the Sundhnúkagígar crater row, RÚV reports. Of the three main fissures formed in the process, most of the activity centres around the eruption’s northernmost crater. The primary…
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Majority Of Magma May Has Solidified, Eruption Still Possible
Professor of Geophysics at the University of Iceland Magnús Tumi Guðmundsson says about 90% of the magma channel near Grindavík has solidified, RÚV reports. However, a fresh magma intrusion may still form through the same tunnel. The location near Sundhnúkur, just north…
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Rapid Ground Uplift Near Svartsengi
The ground near Svartsengi on the Reykjanes Peninsula is currently rising more rapidly than it did prior to the November 10 earthquake swarm. Volcanologist Þorvaldur Þórðarson stated in a conversation with mbl.is on November 19 that ground uplift measures 5.5 times faster…
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In Pictures: Severe Road Damage In Grindavík Following Earthquakes
As the residents of Grindavík have been allowed to go into town on Monday, November 13, to pick up essentials and valuables, new photos from the town have been published by our colleagues from RÚV. Significant damage can be seen throughout Grindavík…
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Animal Welfare Coalition Urges Abandoned Pets Be Evacuated From Grindavík
Sunday, November 12, a coalition of six animal welfare groups issued a statement urging authorities to permit them to evacuate abandoned animals from the Grindavík area. Grindavík was evacuated on Friday, November 10, due to an increased threat of a volcanic eruption.…
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Magma Beneath Grindavík At 800 Metres Below Surface
Magma collecting underneath Grindavík is measured at a depth of 800 metres at the shallowest point, according to GPS measurements from the Icelandic Meteorological Office. Following a dense and intense series of earthquakes on Nov. 10, a magma intrusion has formed on…
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Eruption Probable In Near Future
The Icelandic Meteorological Office says the likelihood of an eruption is now significant following weeks of seismic activity in the Eldvörp-Svartsengi volcanic system that centred heavily on the Sundhnúkar crater row on November 10. The geological unrest came to a head on Friday…
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UPDATES: Emergency/Distress Phase Announced, Grindavík Ordered To Evacuate
With the town of Grindavík now evacuated, we will not be updating this thread any further. UPDATE: Nov. 10, 2023 — 23:55 The Icelandic Met Office reports that a dike formation has likely formed beneath the town of Grindavík. With the magma…
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Blue Lagoon Closes Amid Earthquakes, Eruption Concerns
The Blue Lagoon announced Thursday morning it was closing for one week amid rising concerns over the seismic activity in the area and measured accumulation of magma underground in the region. The popular tourist destination will remain closed until Nov. 16. In…
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Preparations Underway To Protect Hot Water Pipelines Amid Possible Eruption
Due to the possible eruption in the Reykjanes Peninsula, authorities have started transporting building materials to defend hot water pipelines in the area. The pipelines originate from the Svartsengi Power Plant, moving hot water throughout the region. In the event of an…
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Tour Operator Suspends Blue Lagoon Trips Amid Safety Concerns
Tour company Kynnisferðir — better known to visitors as operators of Reykjavík Excursions or the FlyBus — announced Monday it is suspending tours to the Blue Lagoon due to ongoing safety concerns on the Reykjanes peninsula. Tours were halted as of noon…
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Grindavík Evacuation Plan Published As Earthquakes Continue
Another larger earthquake – this time measuring magnitude 3.6 – was recorded on the morning of November 6 on the Reykjanes peninsula. The tremor follows a series of earthquakes in the area, as magma continues to collect beneath Mt. Þorbjörn. The siesmic…
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Eruption Approaching: Magma Ascending Towards the Surface
In a recent update from the Icelandic Met Office, it is stated that since the onset of the ongoing earthquake swarm on July 4th, approximately 7,000 earthquakes have been recorded between Fagradalsfjall and Keilir. Around 300 earthquakes have surpassed the magnitude of…
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Magma Collecting Close to HS Orka and Blue Lagoon
About one and a half million cubic meters of magma have accumulated a few kilometers below the surface close to the Blue Lagoon. Land has risen by a few centimeters. Expert Kristín Jónsdóttir explains the matter in detail, RÚV reports. [su_pullquote]Are you…
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Listening To Volcanoes: Volcano Science Is A Quiet Job—Until It Isn’t
“I grew up in this field,” Baldur Bergsson, a specialist in monitoring at the Icelandic Met Office, tells us as we drive to one of two sites where we will see if a volcanic eruption is imminent. “My father’s been installing seismic…
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8,000 Tremors In Reykjanes Since January
Some 8,000 tremors have been measured on the Reykjanes peninsula since January, the Icelandic Met Office reports. While the vast majority of these have been relatively small, it is very likely that there is now a new magma intrusion in the area.…
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Slumbering Volcanoes In Iceland
“No one can predict where, or with what force, an eruption might commence.” Currently, some of the 30 volcanic systems in Iceland, most of them with a large central volcano, show signs of unrest. It is ever thus, but a greater or…
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Volcano Watch: Lava Field Bigger Than Lake Mývatn
The lava field created by the Holuhraun eruption is now 44.5 square kilometres, reports RÚV. By comparison, Lake Mývatn is 37 km2. Seismic activity continues to be strong with as many as 60 earthquakes reported in the Bárðarbunga area on Saturday. The…
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Volcano Watch: Bárðarbunga And Holuhraun Update
Bárðarbunga caldera continues to subside at the same rate as before, roughly half a metre per day, reports the Institute of Earth Sciences. Large earthquakes are still being detected in the Bárðarbunga caldera, several with a magnitudes over 3, some over 5.…
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Bárðarbunga Eruption More Likely
The likelihood of an eruption in the Bárðarbunga caldera is increasing, says volcanologist Ármann Höskuldsson. “It is becoming more likely that there will be an eruption under the glacier at Bárðarbunga,” Ármann told Vísir. “The eruption in Holuhraun can’t handle much more…
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Holuhraun Growing Rapidly, Gandalf May Be Investigating
The Holuhraun lava field has grown by 1 square kilometre in the last 24 hours, twice as much as in previous days, reports RÚV. As reported, there are growing concerns that an eruption at Bárðarbunga is imminent, though geophysicist Magnús Tumi Guðmundsson…
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Worries Over Bárðarbunga Eruption Rise
Fears of an eruption at Bárðarbunga continue to rise as the volcano’s caldera sinks further and more seismic activity is recorded in the area, reports RÚV. According to geologists and Civil Protection and Emergency Management (CPEM) the developments at Bárðarbunga are raising…
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Largest Lava Eruption Since 19th Century
The Holuhraun eruption has produced more lava than any other eruption since the 19th century, reports RÚV. According to a volcanologist Ármann Höskuldsson, the Holuhraun eruption has become larger than the Krafla eruption of 1984 and the magma contains more gas. The lava…