Growing unrest in Iceland‘s most powerful volcano: Earthquake swarm in Bárðarbunga Volcano
BY
STAFF |MAY 12 2016
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MONITIORING THE SITUATION Met Office monitorin station on Vatnajökull glacier, sitting atop the Barðarbunga volcano, set up to detect any expansion of the glacier due to increasing geothermal activity in the volcano. Photo/Icelandic Met Office.
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MONITIORING THE SITUATION Met Office monitorin station on Vatnajökull glacier, sitting atop the Barðarbunga volcano, set up to detect any expansion of the glacier due to increasing geothermal activity in the volcano. Photo/Icelandic Met Office.
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MONITIORING THE SITUATION Met Office monitorin station on Vatnajökull glacier, sitting atop the Barðarbunga volcano, set up to detect any expansion of the glacier due to increasing geothermal activity in the volcano. Photo/Icelandic Met Office.
Two sizeable earthquakes were recorded in the Bárðarbunga volcano yesterday. Bárðarbunga, which is located underneath Vatnajökull glacier, is considered by many the most powerful volcanon in Iceland. According to measurements by
the Icelandic Meteorological Office the earthquakes, which measured 2.9 and 2.5 on the Richter scale took place at 13:20 and 13:33 yesterday afternoon. Each was followed by ten smaller earthquakes. A third major earthquake, 3.2 on the Richter scale, took place this morning shortly after 10 AM.
A seismologists at the Icelandic Met Office tells
the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service that there has been a noticeable increase in activity in the volcano, but that it is still too early to say what is going on. Activity in Bárðarbunga has been growing since September 2015. Several large earthquakes have been recorded in the volcano this spring. Last week saw two earthqaukes, 3.3 and 3.2 on the Richter scale, followed by a swarm of smaller quakes.
A major eruption in Bárðarbunga could easily dwarf the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption in its intensity or impact.
http://icelandmag.visir.is/article/...-volcano-earthquake-swarm-bardarbunga-volcano