Strongest earthquake yet in Bardarbunga

22. ágúst 2014 10:13

From the eruption in Grimsvotn in 2011. Visir/Egill

An earthquake of magnitude 4.7 shook the Bardarbunga volcano just before midnight last night. It's the strongest earthquake measured during the seismic activity in Vatnajokul this last week.

Around 400 earthquakes were measured in the area from midnight until the early morning. The majority northeast of Bardarbunga. Most of them occurr at a depth of 8-12 km but a few are shallower at a depth around 4 km.

Until last night the strongest earthquake measured was of magnitude 4.5 Sunday night. The quake that set off the eruption in Gjalp in 1996 was of size 5.0.

See below for more news in English on the activity in Bardarbunga.

News in English

Tengdar fréttir

Composed music from the Bárðarbunga quakes

"All music is just data, in a way. You can interpret Beethoven's Fifth Symphony as data, which is just notes of variable pitches at variable times. In that way, earthquakes are no different."

20. ágúst 2014 14:52

Earthquake swarm by Bárðarbunga volcano

At about 3 a.m. this morning (16 August), an earthquake swarm began by Bárðarbunga volcano in NW Vatnajökull ice cap.

16. ágúst 2014 10:00

Current situation not comparable to Eyjafjallajökull eruption

Ongoing magma movement in Bárðarbunga for the past days have raised questions of possible flight disruptions between Iceland and Europe.

19. ágúst 2014 16:15

Bardarbunga earthquake reclassified as magnitude 4.5

Seismologists at the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) have reclassified the earthquake close to the Bardarbunga volcano last night.

18. ágúst 2014 22:49

Mapped the Bárðarbunga quakes in a 3D model

A 24-year old employee of CCP Games has set up a website that shows the seismic activity at Bárðarbunga in a 3D perspective.

19. ágúst 2014 22:45

Activity in Bárðarbunga volcano

Over the last seven years seismic activity has been gradually increasing in Bardarbunga and the fissure swarm north of the volcano.

16. ágúst 2014 10:00

Magma flowing into Bárðarbunga caldera with great force

All highland roads north of Vatnajökull glacier have been closed and all traffic banned, whether by vehicle or on foot. The Bárðarbunga situation is now attracting worldwide attention on a scale similar to the Eyjafjallajökull eruption in 2010.

20. ágúst 2014 14:41

2800 earthquakes in three days

Of these around 950 have occured since midnight today. Several of these events were larger than magnitude 3.

19. ágúst 2014 00:17

Icelandair stocks shake in quake scare

Icelandair stocks have dropped sharply since Monday morning. Market analysts agree that the situation at Bárðarbunga is a large factor.

20. ágúst 2014 13:15

Magma surge towards the surface would be very powerful

The current situation at Bárðarbunga is many times more powerful than the one that led to the Gjálpar eruption in 1996.

20. ágúst 2014 14:58

No signs of receding seismic actvity in Bárðarbunga

Close to 300 earthquakes were recorded there last night, of which two reached over 3 on the Richter scale.

21. ágúst 2014 14:03

"There is full reason to expect an eruption"

The seismic activity in Bardarbunga on the Vatnajokull glacier is very powerful and therefore full reason to expect a volcanic eruption according to a specialist at The Icelandic Meteorological Office. A live webcam has been placed in the vicinity of Bardarbunga.

18. ágúst 2014 20:58