Eyjafjallajökull Caldera Eruption

If you are following the tremor plots for Eyja eruption then this graphic of where the sensors are locate might be of interest:

Tremor Plots: hraun.vedur.is...

Sensor Map: forums.overclockers.co.uk...

Good evening friends, here is the official report from 19 may:

Eruption in Eyjafjallajökull - Status Report: 17:00 GMT, 19 May 2010
Icelandic Meteorological Office and Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland

Compiled by: Sigþrúður Ármannsdóttir, Sigrún Hreinsdóttir, Helga Ívarsdóttir, Matthew J. Roberts, Bergþóra S. Þorbjarnardóttir and Steinunn Jakobsdóttir.

Based on: IMO seismic monitoring; IES-IMO GPS monitoring; IMO hydrological data; IMO weather radar measurements, web cameras, ATDnet – UK Met. Offices lightning detection system, NOAA satellite images and web-based ash reports from the public.

Eruption plume:
Height (a.s.l.): According to radar and pilots observations, the plume has been slightly lower today than yesterday, at 5-6 km/18,000-20,000ft. Southerly winds prevailed this morning over the volcano, turning to the southwest at 15-18 m/s.
Heading: The plume drifted northwest early this morning, but then turned northnortheast (according to radar).
Colour: Gray or light gray.
Tephra fallout: Ash has fallen in the south at Flúðir, Fljótshlíð and Rangárþing ytri, and with rainfall in the north in Húsavík and Skagafjörður right before noon.
Lightning: Over 20 lightning strikes have been detected from midnight to midday, considerably fewer then yesterday.
Noises: No reports.

Meltwater: Heavy rainfall caused swelling of Eyjafjallajökull rivers today. The rain, together with ash from an area of a few square kilometers, resulted in a mudslide in Svaðbæli River, Hydrologists from IMO and a scientist from the Earth Science Institute, University of Iceland, gathered samples from the river and also from Skógar River. The discharge at the old bridge over markarfljót River has not been greater since 15 April. The discharge at Gígjökull is still low.

Conditions at eruption site: The plume is up to 5-6 km and drifts to the north-northeast according to reconnaissance flight from the Icelandic Coast Guard this afternoon. The number of lightning strikes has decreased.

Seismic tremor: Volcanic tremor is steady and similar to that of the last few days.

Earthquakes: No earthquakes have been recorded in the area since the night before last.

GPS deformation: Continued horizonal displacements towards the center of Eyjafjallajökull volcano together with subsidence.

Overall assessment: The ash plume has been slightly lower today than in the last days and the number of lightning strikes has decreased. Tephra fallout has been detected northwest of the eruption site and also in the north of the country at around and after 12 p.m.

www2.norvol.hi.is...

[edit on 19-5-2010 by ni91ck]

Hey , just thought Id post because well, it's easily noticable, anyway.

There's been an earthquake at near the peak of just about every volcano in iceland today, including, loki, grimsvotn, krafla, the fissure up north and one near the side of katla. I don't know if any of this is an indication, i just thought it was interesting, any thoughts, ideas?

en.vedur.is...

[edit on 20-5-2010 by Mr Zeropoint]

reply to post by Mr Zeropoint


Hello and good evening everyone.
Just wanted to say that I thought something like that would happen. Just last night before going off to bed, I checked RSOE EDIS site and noticed a 4.1 northeast of Iceland. It was right on the North Atlantic Ridge. Then according to your link Mr Zeropoint, most if not all the volcanoes in Iceland seem to be responding to the fault stress. I would think that this would be a great time to keep an eye on the incoming data. Who knows what that tremor might have caused or who it woke up.

RSOE EDIS Report

reply to post by Mr Zeropoint



wonder whats up if anything , but heres a scary thought for ya all.
what if and this is a huge if every volcano in iceland blew her top at the same time ..

and the end results of that . it would be very very bad .
heres hoping that iceland has a evacution plan for the whole country .


um but hey i hope it wont happen

reply to post by alysha.angel


not such an good prospect... waching the chart you see the eq's in an circulair shape.. my guess : the borders of the hotspot underneath...

hudson bay in canada is one big agient caldera....made millions years ago... the responseble hotspot for it is now under iceland ore is it the one under jan mayen island ?
never the less iceland is just an cap of the hotspot...
en.wikipedia.org...(geology)


eyja and katla are not part of the circle... could be the reason they work together...



[edit on 20-5-2010 by ressiv]

[edit on 20-5-2010 by ressiv]

[edit on 20-5-2010 by ressiv]

[edit on 20-5-2010 by ressiv]

another earthquake on katlas caldera rim (edge of crate), 1.3 and 2.9Km's down

en.vedur.is...=map

shame I can't see nothing on the cameras lol, been clouded for day's

[edit on 20-5-2010 by Mr Zeropoint]

Good morning Vulcans Here's the official report from 20 may:

Eruption in Eyjafjallajökull - Status Report: 17:00 GMT, 20 May 2010
Icelandic Meteorological Office and Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland

Compiled by: Sigþrúður Ármannsdóttir, Sigrún Hreinsdóttir, Helga Ívarsdóttir, Bergþóra S. Þorbjarnardóttir, Björn Oddsson and Gunnar Sigurðsson.

Based on: IMO seismic monitoring; IES-IMO GPS monitoring; IMO hydrological data; IMO weather radar measurements, web cameras, ATDnet – UK Met. Offices lightning detection system, NOAA satellite images and web-based ash reports from the public.

Eruption plume:
Height (a.s.l.): According to radar obersvations, the plume has been at around 5 km/18,000ft. today. Over the volcano, winds blow from the south at 10 m/s, but at the top of the plume the wind is south-southwesterly at 13 m/s.
Heading: North, but turns to the northeast over the highlands (according to radar and weather satellite).
Colour: Gray.
Tephra fallout: Ashfall has only been reported at Fljótsdalur, the innermost farm in Fljótshlíð, beginning last night and continuing all day.
Lightning: Ten lightning strikes were detected from midnight to 13h, but none since.
Noises: No reports.

Meltwater:
Meltwater from the eruption site is still at a low. Water discharge in rivers around the Eyjafjallajökull glacier has decreased again after the increase caused by rainfall yestarday. Tomorrow, water gauges will be installed in Bakkakot River to monitor potential mudslides like the one that occurred yesterday in Svaðbæli River.

Conditions at eruption site:
The volcano has not been visible for two days due to cloudy weather. Radar images from TF-SIF show no major changes in the ice cauldrons where the cinder cone is forming. The eruption is mainly explosive and almost no lava flows down Gígjökull.

Seismic tremor:
Volcanic tremor is fairly steady and similar to that of the last few days.

Earthquakes:
Two microearthquakes have been recorded in the volcano since midnight, at depths of around 7 and 3 km.

GPS deformation:
Irregular oscillations in the vertical component of stations closest to the volcano.

Overall assessment:
The height of the ash plume has decreased in the last few days which suggests a decrease in magma flow (considerably less than 50 tonns/sec) compared to the flow over the weekend and at the end of last week. Fluctuations in eruption activity and varying ashfall can still be expected.


www2.norvol.hi.is...

[edit on 20-5-2010 by ni91ck]

A new site in Iceland with some information about the volcano a some intresting stuf to travel around in Iceland:

Volcanic eruptions in Iceland

Iceland is located in an active volcanic zone and eruptions occur regularly with intervals of a few years. They can happen unexpectedly, but usually they are preceded by indications, such as earthquakes and tremors that are picked up by seismographs. Great danger can ensue from lava flows and showers of ash. A shower of ash from an eruption can spread all over the country, depending on the weather conditions. The ash can be dangerous because of lightning, toxic gases and toxic substances. If this is the case, the situation is particularly dangerous for animals. Clouds of ash can upset flight schedules. When an eruption occurs under a glacier, new fissures can appear in the glacier and subsequent floods can ensue from it, which can be dangerous to people and damage structures as well.

Risk of lightning

If lightning can possibly strike in the area where you're staying, you should disconnect all electrical equipment while the shower of ash is passing and avoid using telephones. Listen carefully in case announcements and news are broadcast in the media, and follow the instructions that may be given. In particular, you should pay attention to the weather forecast as well as to news concerning the showers of ash. Stay out of the showers of ash, since you risk being struck by a lightning and remember that there can be total darkness within it. The risk of lightning is greatest inside the area covered by the shower of ash and in the neighbourhood and it can spread over an area up to the distance of 30 – 40 km. from the volcano. Escape the dangerous area with the side of your body turned against the direction of the wind and breath through a mask or a damp cloth. Stay away from suspended wires, tall trees, posts, clotheslines, electricity structures, masts and agricultural tools of any kind. You should also stay away from swamps, lakes and brooks. Get rid of backpacks, guns, fishing rods and gardening tools, i.e. everything that can conduct electricity.

Floods ensuing from an eruption under a glacier

Eruptions under a glacier usually cause water to flow from under the glacier. Don't stay in a flat area while there is risk of water flowing from a volcano under a glacier. If you find yourself in an area surrounded by water, call 112 and report it if possible, but use a white flag signalling that you need help, in case the former isn't an option.

Toxic gases

Stay where the wind is blowing and don't enter deep depressions and hollows where gases can accumulate, in any circumstances. Gas can be a dangerous and a toxic substance that has no odour and is invisible most of the time.

Radio announcements

Be attentive and listen to announcements and news in the media and follow the instructions that may be given. Be careful and pay attention to the weather forecast and news concerning showers of ash.

Translated from the site of the National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police, Civil Protection Department.

www.safetravel.is...

www.safetravel.is...

And some more news:

Categorized | General, Iceland, Leisure, MBL, Travel
Volcano tours prove popular at Iceland eruption site
Posted on20 May 2010. Tags: iceland tours, Iceland Volcano, Iceland Volcano Eruption, Volcano Eruption, Volcano Tours

Scheduled volcano tours with super Jeeps and coaches have become the hottest activity in Iceland recently. Tour operators are offering numerous day trips to see the Iceland volcano eruption including Icelandtotal.com, Iceland’s One Stop Travel Shop which offers a broad selection of volcano tours.

“The volcano tours have proved to be a major hit,” says Vignir Gudjonsson, manager of Icelandtotal.com. “Contradictory to some recent reports, the volcano at Eyjafjallajokull is of no threat to visitors, as long as they are accompanied by professional guides.”

It is estimated that with all the tour operators combined, about 10-15 super Jeeps and 2-3 coaches, which is the equivalent of 200 people, drive towards the eruption site every night. With the influx of travellers to Iceland and the tourist season soon reaching its peak, this figure is likely to multiply departure times and more tours will consequently take place.

“Travellers in Iceland realise that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to witness an active volcano. You can’t compare this experience with anything else and people know that they are witnessing something extraordinary,” Gudjonsson added.

Scientists agree that there is no sign of the Iceland eruption coming to an end or activity decreasing. It is impossible to tell when the eruption will stop; it could be tomorrow, it could be in a years’ time. However, as long as the volcano is active, tour operators in the Iceland travel industry will continue to offer volcano tours.

For more information on volcano tours in Iceland visit www.icelandtotal.com

www.icenews.is...

Another wee quake over towards Katla in last hour or so...

en.vedur.is...

This is what I'm more worried about at the moment:

en.vedur.is...=map

Vatnajökull seems very active atm tremor wise, I'm not sure if this is normal or not??? I dont believe it is going by what has been said.....

They are stil in trouble in Iceland, every day new problems.

Flow of volcanic mud causes Iceland floodwater concern.

Posted on21 May 2010. Tags: Eyjafjallajokull, flood, Iceland, volcano

Water flow has increased significantly in the Svadbaelisa river in South Iceland near the Eyjafjallajokull volcano. The river was the scene of a mud flood earlier this week.Workers have been cleaning the mud off the road near homes at Lambafell, where fears remain that water could inundate the houses.

The river itself is filled with mud, which has caused the water level to rise, causing it to break its banks in a few places, including over the road at the Onundarhorni Farm.

www.icenews.is...

List of recent volcanic eruptions in Iceland
Eruption in Eyjafjallajökull 2010.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eruptions in Iceland in since 1902
2010 Eyjafjallajökull
2004 Grímsvötn
2000 Hekla
1998 Grímsvötn
1996 Gjálp
1991 Hekla
1984 Krafla
1983 Grímsvötn
1981 Krafla 2 eruptions
1981 Hekla
1980 Hekla
1980 Krafla 3 eruptions
1977 Krafla 2 eruptions
1975 Krafla
1973 subaquatic eruption 5 km south of Landeyjar coast
1973 Heimaey
1970 Hekla
1963-1967 Surtsey
1961 Askja
1947 Hekla
1938 Grímsvötn
1934 Grímsvötn
1933 Grímsvötn
1929 Askja
1927 Askja
1926 northeast of Eldey
1924 Askja
1923 Askja
1922 Askja 2 eruptions
1922 Grímsvötn
1921 Askja
1918 Katla
1913 Austan Heklu
1910 Þórðarhyrna
1903 Þórðarhyrna
1902 Grímsvötn

en.vedur.is...

Some info, for refreshing your memory.

Eyafjallajökull volcano
Eyafjallajökull volcano (its name meaning Island-Mountain under a glacier) under the small homonymous glacier in southern Iceland erupted spectacularly on 20 March 2010, after having been dormant for almost 200 years. During its most violent phase, the subglacial eruption produced large ash plumes that drifted over Europe and forced an unprecedented closure of airspace over most of Europe for several days in mid April 2010.

Volcano type Stratovolcano

Location South Iceland, 63.63°N / 19.62°W

Summit elevation 1666 m (5,466 ft)

Last eruptions 1821-23, 20 March 2010 - ongoing

Typical eruption style effusive (Hawaiian-style lava fountains and lava flows), mildly explosive due to ice-water-lava interaction.

Background:
Eyjafjöll, located immediately west of Katla volcano, consists of an E-W-trending, elongated ice-covered basaltic-andesite stratovolcano with a 2.5-km-wide summit caldera.
Fissure-fed lava flows occur on both the eastern and western flanks of the volcano, but are more prominent on the western side. Although the 1666-m-high volcano has erupted during historical time, it has been less active than other volcanoes of Iceland's eastern volcanic zone, and relatively few Holocene lava flows are known. The sole historical eruption of Eyjafjöll, during December 1821 to January 1823, produced intermediate-to-silicic tephra from the central caldera.
---
Source: GVP, Smithsonian Institute
www.volcanodiscovery.com...

Updated May 01, 2010
Boom, bust, volcano: Iceland reels after years of crisis, but hardy inhabitants vow to rebuild

Associated Press
HVOLSVOLLUR, Iceland

HVOLSVOLLUR, Iceland (AP) — It took Sigurdur Thorhallsson more than a decade to turn a patch of flat land wedged between glacier and ocean into a field fit to grow fodder grass. It took Iceland'...

HVOLSVOLLUR, Iceland (AP) — It took Sigurdur Thorhallsson more than a decade to turn a patch of flat land wedged between glacier and ocean into a field fit to grow fodder grass. It took Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano just minutes to wreck it.

Iceland's financial crisis had already tested the 41-year-old farmer's dream by driving up repayments on his bank loan. But it was a flash flood triggered by the volcanic eruption last month that devastated him.

"It was very emotional for me. You could say it broke my heart, to see it destroy my land," said Thorhallsson, using a trailer to haul away some of the tons of mud, silt and volcanic ash left behind on the field when melting glacier ice sent floodwaters racing down the mountain.

It is seemingly endless work, but Thorhallsson is stoically determined to clean up the mess. Like many other Icelanders, he's trying to salvage a better future from the wreckage of the country's recent past.

The last few years have been traumatic for this tiny North Atlantic nation of 320,000 people.

A roaring economic boom that saw Iceland produce a crop of international jet-setters with a penchant for Alpine chalets and private planes was followed in 2008 by a spectacular bust. Suddenly, affluent Iceland was an economic basket case in need of financial life support from the International Monetary Fund.

"It has been a weird time," said Valy Thorsteinsdottir, 26, who recently returned from a trip to southeast Asia that showed her just how her country's image has changed.

"Usually I'm the first Icelander people have met. You used to get, 'Iceland, that's amazing: Bjork, hot springs.' Now people say, 'Iceland? Isn't it bankrupt?'"

And just when Icelanders thought things couldn't get any worse, Eyjafjallajokull awoke with its first eruption in almost 200 years.

An initial blast last month forced 500 people temporarily from their homes in the area, 75 miles (120 kilometers) east of Iceland's capital, Reykjavik. A second, bigger eruption that began April 14 shook the global economy. Fears the drifting ash cloud could damage jet engines grounded planes across northern Europe for almost a week, stranding millions of people and costing the aviation industry almost $2 billion.

Ironically, Iceland itself was initially little affected. Ashfall and flooding hit a small, sparsely populated area, and as winds blew the ash cloud east toward Europe, Iceland's international airport stayed open, although it later closed when the wind switched direction.

But Iceland's travel industry fears the bad publicity and aviation uncertainty will hit their summer tourist season. National carrier Icelandair say bookings for April were sharply down on expectations, and hotels report a spate of canceled bookings.

Thorsteinsdottir was stuck for several days in Bangkok, and found strangers suggesting — sometimes jokingly, sometimes in anger — that the gridlock was her fault.

"When I was holding my passport at the airport, I deliberately turned it the other way so people couldn't see where I was from," she said. "I was sick of people blaming me."

It has never been easy to be an Icelander. For centuries the people of this wind-swept rock, the descendants of Vikings who settled here more than 1,000 years ago, eked out a living from fishing and from hardscrabble farms.

Their foes included the unstable land itself. There is a volcanic eruption about every five years in Iceland; the worst, in 1783, spewed a deadly cloud of toxic gas and sparked famine that killed up to a quarter of Iceland's population and tens of thousands more across Europe.

This tough history has helped produce a hardy, egalitarian people undeterred by adversity — or, looked at another way, a nation of overconfident risk-takers.

Historian Gunnar Karlsson said Iceland's isolation from bigger nations had produced "a strong national consciousness and a feeling that we had something special."

Drawing on their egalitarian side, Icelanders established one of the world's first parliaments, the 1,000-year-old Althingi. They tapped the land's geological volatility for geothermal energy to heat houses, business and year-round outdoor swimming pools. With the money they made from fishing — by the 20th century a lucrative business — they built a cozy Scandinavian social safety net. In 2007, Iceland was declared the best country in the world to live in by the United Nations.

On the other hand, Iceland produced the "Viking capitalists" who set out early in the 21st century — armed with huge loans from Icelandic banks — to conquer businesses around the world, from London's Hamley's toy store to English football club West Ham.

Soon Iceland's banking sector dwarfed the rest of the economy and the country was awash in easy credit. Teenagers could get loans to buy fancy new cars; middle-class Icelanders bought the latest designer clothes and imported electronic goods. The new super-rich drove the streets of Reykjavik in Hummers and luxury cars.

"There were more private jets parked at Reykjavik airport than planes from our domestic airlines," said travel agent Jonas Thor, 61.

"For the older generation, we wondered, 'Where is the money coming from?' We never understood. And it turned out there was no money."

As the credit squeeze tightened in 2008, Iceland's economic house of cards collapsed. The three main banks went bust within a week of one another. The national currency plummeted and a series of angry protests — dubbed the Saucepan Revolution, after the pots and pans banged by the demonstrators — ousted the country's center-right government.

Eighteen months later, signs of decay are not obvious in Reykjavik, Iceland's tidy capital city. McDonald's decamped last year, and Pizza Hut is closing all but one of its outlets. But boutiques still line the main street, there are people in the bars and restaurants.

However, unemployment is now at eight percent, up from almost nothing a few years ago, and many businesses and individuals — like farmer Thorhallsson — are struggling to pay off loans taken out in foreign currencies when the krona was at its strongest and Iceland had one of the world's highest per-capita incomes.

But for many Icelanders, the initial shock and anger have been replaced by a sense of reflection and social solidarity.

Last month the country's "truth commission" published a 2,000-page report into the financial crisis, an event greeted as cathartic. The report lays blame on bankers and politicians and may lead to criminal charges against some.

In style-conscious Reykjavik, the latest must-have garment is not a designer label, but the humble Icelandic sweater, its chunky knit and geometric patterns redolent of practicality and heritage.

And, in the economy, there are tentative signs of recovery. A new hamburger joint may not seem much cause for celebration, but in Iceland's battered state, last month's opening of Hamborgarafabrikkan — an upmarket eatery that aims to be Iceland's answer to the Hard Rock Cafe — is a good sign.

"People tell us we are brave to do this, an inspiration to others," said Johannes Asbjornsson, a TV personality — one half of the duo who host the Icelandic version of "American Idol" — who started the business. "That's a really nice thing to hear."

Some people even think Iceland — with its recent experience of direct action and truth-seeking — could show the way to a new model of democracy.

"In 10 or 20 years, when we look back as Icelanders and tell our children, we will say that the crisis is the best thing that ever happened," said Gudjon Mar Gudjonsson, a former telecoms magnate turned social entrepreneur who has founded the Ministry of Ideas, an incubator for participatory democracy. "Iceland could play a role in changing ideas about how democracy works.

"Icelanders are risk-takers," he said. "We just need to find our path. It was definitely not in banking."

Meanwhile, the volcano is still erupting. No one knows when it will stop. Clearing his land despite the threat of more ash, Thorhallsson is determined to rebuild.

"I will try to survive this," he said quietly.

"In Iceland, we are all not far from being farmers and sailors. If you look at them in every country, they are people who try to survive."

Another small earthquake at katla

en.vedur.is...

reply to post by Mr Zeropoint


Not quite at Katla - but close! Katla, if I remember correctly, isn't at the peak of the Mýrdalsjökull icefield but over towards the southeastern area of the field. The crater is about 10miles in diameter...

katla cam look's amazing right now, check it out., no eruption or anything haha, just the view and #

While the 46 EQ's so far today are impressive for the area around Eyjafjallajökull:

en.vedur.is...=table

It's the line of EQ's between Eyjafjallajökull and Katla that bothers me:

en.vedur.is...=map

Doesn't that look like they are becoming connected?

Hello everybody. Here's the official report from 21 may.

Eruption in Eyjafjallajökull - Status Report: 19:00 GMT, 21 May 2010
Icelandic Meteorological Office and Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland

Compiled by: Sigþrúður Ármannsdóttir, Matthew J. Roberts, Teitur Arason, Bergþóra S. Þorbjarnardóttir, Magnús Tumi Guðmundsson and Gunnar Sigurðsson.

Based on: Observations from inspection flight at 6 PM, IMO seismic monitoring; IESIMO GPS monitoring; IMO hydrological data; IMO weather radar measurements, web cameras, ATDnet – UK Met. Offices lightning detection system, NOAA satellite images and web-based ash reports from the public.

Eruption plume:
Height (a.s.l.): Observation from inspection flight and other pilot reports show that the plume is at a height of 3-3.5 km/10,000-12,000ft. Plume is blown towards northeast and later northwest by light southerly winds.
Heading: Northeast at first and later northwest.
Colour: Light grey, with a small amount of ash.
Tephra fallout: No reports of ashfall today. Reports from Neðri-Þverá and Hlíðarendakot in Fljótshlíð of bluish gas in Fljótsdalur and along the hillsides in some sort of clouds, smelling of rot (causing people headaches when dark in colour).
Lightning: No lightning strikes have been detected since 13h, yesterday.
Noises: No reports.

Meltwater:
Small discharge from Gígjökull. A water gauge is being installed in Kaldaklif River today.

Conditions at eruption site:
The eruption rate has declined a great deal and the weak plume rises from the western part of the crater. No real explosions and no lava flowing from the crater.

Seismic tremor:
Volcanic tremor levels have decreased since yesterday evening. However, they rose for two hours this morning, but have since continued to decrease.

Earthquakes:
Over twenty earthquakes have been recorded since midnight, the majority at shallow depths.

GPS deformation:
Continued horizontal displacements toward the centre of Eyjafjallajökull volcano. Irregular oscillations in the vertical component of stations closest to the volcano.

Overall assessment:
The eruption has declined a great deal and the flow of magma into the crater can be roughly estimated as 5 tonnes/s, carried away by a plume that rises 1.5-2 km above the creater. No lava flowing.

www2.norvol.hi.is...

Two more earthquakes at Eyjafjallajökull in the last hour:

en.vedur.is...=table

Looks like magma movement, both vertical, and horizontal. The vertical movement is based on the swarm directly over Eyjafjallajökull. The horizontal movement based on the lateral series of EQ's in the direction of Katla.

looking at the map there is anothe swarm active in the south west ... also under an volcano??

en.vedur.is...