Written in SCIENCE he
It is expected a volcanic eruption to big scale in Iceland. The soil in the southwestern part of the island trembles non-stop since the end of October. There have been other outbreaks in the same area, the most recent in the summer. But this time, with miles of the country open, they fear it will be the one they remember. On the 24th October the earth began to tremble in the part southwest of the island. In a country volcanic With more than 200 active volcanoes, shake the land It has no effect on the daily lives of Icelanders. However, the number of small earthquakes continues to increase.
Currently more than 1,000 pieces are produced per day. This is what is called a swarm seismic. A freak similar, although on a smaller scale (almost 100 tremors), occurred before the eruption of The Palm in September 2021. Authorities fear that one of the volcanoes in the area could enter rash. But it may be more than just appearances. “Most earthquake swarms end in a crack or fault and do not result in an eruption,” he said. Arman Heskuldssonvolcanologist of the University of Iceland. “I know I’m at the beginning,” she recalled. What has accumulated on the peninsula for 800 years is dissolving. “
Where are they produced?
The epicenters of the earthquakes vary, but they all occur in a large area around the city of Grindavik in the southwestern part of the island. It is a small fishing town on the peninsula of Reykjanesjust 60 kilometers from the capital of Iceland, Reykjavik. Initially, the swarm was concentrated to the west of the affected area, but has since moved eastwards.
During the weekend, the earthquake changed location again and concentrated south of Grindavik, so far south that an underwater eruption could occur if the ground opens up there. As for depth, the tremors began to occur at a depth of more than 5 kilometers. But on Thursday it had already reached an altitude of 3.5 kilometers, while in recent days it had only climbed 800 meters.
What happens beneath the surface?
Due to the change in location of the seismic swarm and the rise of its epicenter, those responsible for following its development and the Iceland Meteorological Office (IMO) They have determined that a magma intrusion is occurring. The mass It must be huge and the entire surface must be on it. Bill McGuireprofessor emeritus of geophysics and climate change at University College London, told Science Media Center: “He magma It is rising along a 15-kilometer-long fracture and is now at the surface. “It is very close to the Landat a distance of about 800 meters,” he said. GPS from space detected an elevation of the land of several centimeters per day in various parts of the region. This is indicated by a crack that opens from southwest to northeast.
Experts attribute the event to the nearby volcano Fagradalsfjall. The volcano has been increasing its activity since 2021, with its last eruption occurring in summer. Therefore, it is possible that the content will be revealed at this time. Scientists don’t know when that will be. In their last memo, the only thing they said since the IMO is that “it is likely that there will be a volcanic eruption in the coming days”