Now cracks are opening up southwest of Reykjavik, Iceland… Eruption soon?
The present geological context and history
Experts believe a volcanic eruption could take place in the Reykjanes Peninsula.
A large volume of magma is accumulating in this area of Iceland since about a year, causing the soil to lift by several centimeters and triggering numerous seismic swarms, getting always stronger.
Since February 24, the situation has completely degenerated. Over 22,000 earthquakes have been recorded… Volcanic tremors too, prompting officials to raise the alert level of the Krysuvik volcano from green to orange overnight.
Yesterday, a M5.7 and 6 M4is hit the region within the same hour… InSAR reveals ongoing dike formation in Fagradalsfjall on the Reykjanes peninsula.
Sigurjón (Sjonni) Jónsson @Sjonni_KAUST
Successive InSAR data of the Iceland crisis. The first includes the M5.7 earthquake, a few other offsets, and clear dike deformation, the second indicates dike migration to the southwest and shows the surface rupture of the M5 event last night (S1, desc., by Adriano) @ESA_EO
Now, cracks have been found in the Thorbjorn area, a small volcanic building formed during a single eruptive event that took place around 24,000 years ago. That exact same volcano made the headlines last year because it was the center of the first crustal deformations (caused rising magma).
iikka lehtinen @ilel100
Interesting low frequency earthquake. The long LF coda indicates movement of volcanic fluids. As magma ascends, moving toward the surface, gases build pressure within the magma, forcing cracks and dikes to open and expand through the overlying rocks.
These fractures were observed near the Blue Lagoon, a geothermal area and one of Iceland’s most visited tourist attractions. Its water comes from the nearby Svartsengi geothermal plant, or better said, the volcanic system located west of Krysuvik.
Sigurjón (Sjonni) Jónsson @Sjonni_KAUST
Surface cracks everywhere! Gunnar Grímsson and colleagues were in the field southwest of Reykjavík yesterday for drone imaging. Here is one of their shots.
Thorbjorn and Krysuvik haven’t erupted for centuries. So there’s lot of magma ready to blow and flow!
Meanwhile some argue the volcanoes will not erupt:
What’s your opinion?
Did you know that giant cracks are also fissuring the desert of Arizona?