The Iceland Volcano Thread

At the current rate, the magma intrusion from Bardarbunga could penetrate the magma chamber of Askja volcano in around 5 days, or less if it speeds up.

Bardarbunga being raised back to red alert again

Seems to of slowed or stopped, for now.


http://www.ruv.is/m/frett/741555

Current state of affairs. Her shift is ending.

Aviation code downgraded to orange again. Looks like it was a short, small fissure, maybe similar to what happened under the glacier a few days ago that caused the melting.

I wouldn't be surprised if we saw more episodes like this happen on and off at different points.

Iancar29 wrote: »

Meteosat picks up fissure hotspot .

Reposted that great image Iancar on the Volcancocafe site, thank you for posting it.

It depends on the size and type of eruption. Anything from something slightly bigger than a large fart to a full scale world climate change over the next few years. Your guess is as good a most peoples at this stage.

If I was a betting man I would say a gradual small scale eruption over a week or two with medium ejections of ash causing some disruption to north atlantic airspace and severe regional disruption in Iceland, with no major noticeable impact on climate elsewhere.

The best thing, in my opinion, about volcanoes is their unpredictability!

Eruption Bárðarbunga is now considered more likely than before. This was stated at a meeting of the Council of Coordination of scientists today. Seismic we Bárðarbunga is still very high, the highest has been 15 miles long area centered on the edge Dyngjujökuls.

http://www.ruv.is/frett/gos-i-bardarbungu-talid-liklegra-en-adur



About 0.65-0.90 cubic km, depending on what model is followed. If the events unfold and a fissure happens, small is no longer in view, medium to Large with amount now, if current rate this continues for a few months. I have read from different sites, the influx is slowing in some spots, but increasing under Bárðarbunga and the local area.

http://t.co/GHCO7Y4TZI


450lbs of lava was poured on to a 6” thick ice structure measuring 4’ by 12’


http://vimeo.com/21247143

Same place as last time. The ex-hurricane is causing strong winds, kicking up dust now, so it's hard to get a good view, but it appears to be mostly steam now so it may be tapering out again.

This was earlier :





Now :

Some small possible evidence that the mantle is involved.

http://earthice.hi.is/chemical_composition_basalt_erupted_29_august_2014_through_1797ad_holuhraun_linear_vent_system_north

This the type of lava from the fissure at this time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tholeiitic_magma_series

I read that "Sulphur traps, as the time in the crust is to short for SO2 degassing to take place fully."

So, maybe a new volcano is starting out?

Latest updates from the site below.

Thorbjörg Agustsdottir on her Twitter account,

https://twitter.com/fencingtobba

“30 m high lava fountains, 1,5k long eruptive fissure, several lava flows, at least 800 m long and 100 m wide.”

Going through a more active phase again. These lava fountains are taller than they look here.

Been researching this for a while and just wondering what are people's thoughts on the theory that the hotspot currently underlying Iceland is the same hotspot which began its life with the Siberian Traps flood basalt eruption c.250m years ago and was the likely catalyst for the P-T mass extinction?

As flood basalt eruptions tend to mark the beginning of a hot spot's life, the two competing theories seem to be that the Siberian Traps mantle plume ultimately became either the Iceland hotspot or the Hawaii hotspot, but as it was buried under deep continental crust for much of its history, it doesn't have a consistent hotspot chain to trace its development over time.

High levels of SO2 detected from the eruption earlier today, but not an issue unless you are in the area.