Schlagwort: volcano news

Map of today’s active volcanoes

Fagradalsfjall (Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland): First images arrive from the scene of the new eruption.
SO far, it has been a small event for Icelandic volcano standards, though. The volcanic activity along the eruptive fissure has decreased somewhat since yesterday. The lava fountains from the vents on the eruptive fissure are only weak and the lava output rate is small, the Icelandic Met Office (IMO) who monitor the eruption reported.
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The lava flows cover an area that is at most about 500 meters wide. The eruption is limited to a small area in the Geldingadalir valley and it is unlikely that lava flow will cause damage to infrastructure.
Record-breaking number of earthquakes preceding the eruption

…20 Mar:
The new eruption is located near Geldingadalir, around the center of the recent dike intrusion of magma that has formed under the peninsula over the recent weeks. It started very quietly with almost no seismic activity when finally, a fissure opened, reaching around 500-700 m length.
The monitoring Icelandic Met Office (IMO) first became aware of the eruption from local reports of visible glow in the area about half an hour after the onset of activity.
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In fact, its timing and location surprised scientists. They had expected the most likely place for magma to push up to the surface being close to the southern end of the dike, where most seismic activity had taken place recently.
Instead, it chose to break out right above the center of the recent intrusion, near Geldingadalir valley, east of Fagradalsfjall and close to Stóri-hrútur.

…20 Mar:
A new volcanic eruption has started last evening around 20:45 local time on 19 Mar 2021 on the Reykjanes peninsula!
A new fissure about 200 m long opened near Geldingadalur, close to Fagradalsfjall mountain, where the seismic activity had been focussed lately.
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Small lava fountains along the fissure feed two slowly advancing lava flows to the southwest and west. According to the Icelandic Met Office (IMO), the most advanced front had reached an area about 2.6 km from Suðurstrandarvegur.

A new video of the eruption at Geldingardalur valley in Reykjanes peninsula. Taken from the Coast Guard helicopter. #Reykjanes #Eruption #Fagradalsfjall pic.twitter.com/B862heMzQL

— Icelandic Meteorological Office – IMO (@Vedurstofan) March 19, 2021

Krísuvík (Southwestern Iceland): (20 Mar) Explosive activity continues. Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) London warned about a volcanic ash plume that rose up to estimated 20000 ft (6100 m) altitude or flight level 200 .
The full report is as follows: KRISUVIK OBS VA DTG:20/0600Z to 20000 ft (6100 m)

Ebeko (Paramushir Island): (19 Mar) Volcanic Ash Advisory Center Tokyo (VAAC) issued the following report: ERUPTION AT 20210319/2105Z FL100 EXTD SE REPORTED OBS VA DTG:19/2120Z

Sakurajima (Kyushu, Japan): (20 Mar) Volcanic Ash Advisory Center Tokyo (VAAC) issued the following report: EXPLODED AT 20210320/0210Z FL090 EXTD NW OBS VA DTG:20/0210Z

Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia): Explosive activity continues. Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) Darwin warned about a volcanic ash plume that rose up to estimated 11000 ft (3400 m) altitude or flight level 110 .
The full report is as follows: VA TO FL110 MOV W OBS VA DTG:20/0913Z to 11000 ft (3400 m)

Dukono (Halmahera): Explosive activity continues. Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) Darwin warned about a volcanic ash plume that rose up to estimated 7000 ft (2100 m) altitude or flight level 070 .
The full report is as follows: CONTINOUS VA ERUPTION TO FL070 MOV NW OBS VA DTG:20/1350Z to 7000 ft (2100 m)

Fuego (Guatemala): Explosive activity continues. Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) Washington warned about a volcanic ash plume that rose up to estimated 14000 ft (4300 m) altitude or flight level 140 .
The full report is as follows: NEW VA EMS to 14000 ft (4300 m)

San Cristobal (Nicaragua): (19 Mar) Volcanic Ash Advisory Center Washington (VAAC) issued the following report: SIGNIFICANT VA ERUPTION

Nevado del Ruiz (Colombia): (19 Mar) Explosive activity continues. Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) Washington warned about a volcanic ash plume that rose up to estimated 21000 ft (6400 m) altitude or flight level 210 .
The full report is as follows: RPRTS OF VA EM to 21000 ft (6400 m)

Sangay (Ecuador): Volcanic Ash Advisory Center Washington (VAAC) issued the following report: PREV VA EMS DISP

Reventador (Ecuador): Explosive activity continues. Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) Washington warned about a volcanic ash plume that rose up to estimated 16000 ft (4900 m) altitude or flight level 160 .
The full report is as follows: FRQ VA EMS to 16000 ft (4900 m)

Sabancaya (Peru): Explosive activity continues. Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) Buenos Aires warned about a volcanic ash plume that rose up to estimated 26000 ft (7900 m) altitude or flight level 260 .
The full report is as follows: INTERMITTENT EMISSIONS to 26000 ft (7900 m)

View of the ongoing eruption in Iceland (image: IMO / twitter)

First view of the new eruption in Iceland (image: Coast Guard helicopter, via IMO / twitter).

A new volcanic eruption has started last evening around 20:45 local time on 19 Mar 2021 on the Reykjanes peninsula!

A new fissure about 200 m long opened near Geldingadalur, close to Fagradalsfjall mountain, where the seismic activity had been focussed lately.
Small lava fountains along the fissure feed two slowly advancing lava flows to the southwest and west. According to the Icelandic Met Office (IMO), the most advanced front had reached an area about 2.6 km from Suðurstrandarvegur.

The eruption came somewhat as a surprise at this stage of the ongoing seismic crisis, because the seismic and ground deformation activity had decreased during the past days compared to the preceding weeks. Some scientists had started to speculate that the process might rather be calming down instead of developing into an eruption.

In fact, the eruption occurred with very weak seismic activity accompanying it. IMO’s seismic stations only recorded weak volcanic tremor during the onset of the eruption.
A possible explanation is that the ground by now in this area had been already fractured so much by the preceding earthquakes that it was extremely easy for the magma to rise from the dike the last approx. 1000 meters upwards to reach and break out at the surface.

We will follow up on this event as more news and further details come in. Stay tuned and check this page from time to time!

Location of the new eruption on Iceland (image: IMO / twitter)