Rumblings from another Icelandic volcano

[GloriaSmud]

and it's a big 'un!
This time at Bárðarbunga, with over 200 earthquakes recorded so far and last night, the Icelandic Met Office raised the aviation colour code to yellow to reflect the unrest that's going on.

One one on JonFR just posted this.. Sounds like there's still a lot of activity..

From the Icelandic MET Office – Geoscientist on duty …

“Nearly 150 earthquakes have been recorded since midnight. About 45 of them occurred in Bárðarbunga, the largest a magnitude 5.3 at the northern rim of Bárðarbunga caldera at 14:22. The GPS station on Bárðarbunga showed a drop of 15 – 20 cm at the time of the earthquake. Two earthquakes occurred with magnitudes between 4 and 5 and four of magnitudes between 3 and 4. Over 50 earthquakes were recorded along the northern part of the dyke, all within magnitude 2. About 30 earthquakes were recorded by Herðubreið and Herðubreiðartögl, all with magnitudes below 2.”

It is still a pretty grumpy volcano.

just checked and the fog has cleared. yayyy, I can see r2d2 again.

the main smoking area seems to be more to the left, or is that my imagination?

xxx

R2D2 has visitors at the moment. I can see clearly now (!) - two larger plumes but presumably less pollution if they have driven a car out there.

Ah yes, little R2 has company. I think someone on VolcanoCafe says R2 runs on diesel so needs refuelling every now and then. As much as I like the look of Iceland, that's not a job I'd want at the moment!

Two more reports from RUV and mbl.

just looking at Bardarbung 2 and the camera zoomed in and back out again and it looks like there's a big plume of smoke in the distance. based on the diagram that someone kindly linked to upthread, it looks like it could be on the glacier bit.

Could that be right?

It is a most impressive plume! I can't remember where I read it (might have been on one of IMO's updates ~ their latest one is here) but they think that the magma is coming from a deeper source now so has a lot of gas in it. Carl on VolcanoCafe thinks that the higher plume is down to this gas ~ it makes what's erupting more explosive. So I don't think it's anything to do with the glacier at the moment, just that the magma has wind!

On an off topic note, R2 has visitors again!

Several big earthquakes have just occurred around Bárðarbunga. To quote OYBBK, it's one grumpy Volcano!

At the moment on the 2nd web cam is a very bright glow to the side, I am assuming it is the setting sun - it looks like it.

Cripes ~ a 4.0, 4.4 and 5.0 in the space of 7 minutes.

Watch this space then!

And a couple of mag 3s as well.

C. 65 quakes since midnight.

Someone on VolcanoCafe posted of Holuhraun. (check out the footage of the lava fountains from 3 1/2 minutes onwards)

Can someone explain what this means for someone flying to America via Iceland (stopping there for a couple of hours) tomorrow please

All it means Miranda is that you may get a very cool view of the eruption if you get a kind pilot.

That's very cool Gloria, it looks malevolent! You can also see how much gas this is throwing up.

Thank you OYBBK - I know there's been an icelandair pilot who flew over the volcano a few weeks ago so maybe I'll be lucky

You should see the plume I think at any rate even if you don't go over it. When we flew into Reykjavik we hugged the south coast and I got very excited at seeing Surtsey.

That video is utterly mesmerising. Also surely that is a bit dangerous what would you do if there was a problem with the helicopter? You can put down gently on land with no rotors, if skilled even ditch in the sea but you can't set down near there can you!

Nice music in this video

Excellent footage and music, nannynick!

3D bulge have helpfully added the option of looking at the caldera drop to their webpage as well (I often can't find it on the IMO's website.) Looks like it's been another 'rocking and rolling' day in the Bárðarbunga caldera.

Auto Refreshing Charts - may be a useful link.

Apparently the change to the jet stream in 48 hours could bring higher level so2 to this country. Seriously worried about the implications of this. Inhalers at the ready??