Fish Kill Reported at Krísuvík Volcano in Iceland

Krísuvík Volcano in Iceland has not erupted for centuries, however the area and its lakes remain rife with fumerolic and hot spring activity. Recently it was reported by Icelandic media and volcano-blogger Jón Frímann that Kleifarvatn lake, a part of the Krísuvík volcanic system, that divers and visitors have been noticing lots of dead fish in the lake. While it is unclear whether or not the fish population in the lake has indeed been hit by unusual activity, fish kills in volcanic lakes are typically a good indicator of volcanic activity.

There are many deadly volcanic lakes in the world, the most notable and famous of which was Lake Nyos in Cameroon which, after a small landslide, caused the liquid CO2 at the bottom of the lake to stir, and escape to the water's surface, eventually escaping the boundaries of the large maar-lake, and inundating lower elevations with deadly amounts of CO2 that killed thousands in a matter of hours.

Kleifarvatn lake lies in parallel with the crater rows of Krísuvík's volcanic system which consists of fissure vents, cinder cone rows, and flood basalts, which last erupted sometime in the late 14th century. The lake itself lies on a low point of the spreading rift, and thus is a great lake to capture gases under water pressure, much like lake Nyos. It could simply be that recent seismicity in the area has stirred up the gases, which mix with the water level the fish typically are at, thus suffocating the fish with volcanic gases and killing them.

It is a trend to watch however. There have not been any studies yet done by local scientists, so right now we don't really know if there have been other changes in the lake such as increased Ph levels, temperatures, or other increases in gas from source vents under the lake.

Fish kill is always a sign to look for if there is anything ominous going on at any volcano. Several episodes of fish kill have occurred near my hometown of San Diego at the Salton Sea, which was related to release of volcanic gases in one instance, but another instance was caused by farm water runoff into the lake that ended up making it one of the most polluted lakes on the planet (a disgusting distinction for an area of the world that is so beautiful). Few people in San Diego or California actually realize that the Salton Sea (who's volcanic counterpart is known as the Salton Buttes) is really a volcano, with fairly recent geological history.

As with the Salton Sea, Krísuvík volcano is also near an actively producing geothermal field. Geothermal drilling can and does cause seismicity which can disturb lake sediments and result in the loss of marine life due to particulates like sediment, and volcanic/organic gases like methane and CO2.

Right now it's all speculation until I can see a study done by scientists that show chemical levels and demonstrate a clear increase in activity. As with much of Iceland, most of the volcanoes there are constantly steaming or releasing some kind of gas, so this may not be unusual for this particular volcano. The lake is lines with steam and hydrothermal vents, hot springs, mud pools, and all sorts of avenues for gases to be released, so it wouldn't surprise me in the least to learn that this has been going on in this lake for a very long time.

In any case, I'll follow up with this volcanic lake if anything new should develop. Stay tuned!

Small Earthquake Swarm at Krafla Volcano, Iceland

Iceland

A series of small quakes has occurred at Krafla volcano in Northern Iceland. A series of about 10-12 small quakes, the strongest being near mag 1.5, occurred swiftly with maybe one or two very small aftershocks in the area. Krafla volcano last erupted in 1984 in a series of fissure fed events, and multiple inflation and deflation events. It is one of Iceland's most active volcanoes alongside Grimsvötn (or Grimsnes), Hekla, and Katla.

The depths of these events are unknown according to my computer analysis, but I suspect these quakes may have occurred due to geothermal prospects int he area, however this could also be related to a very minor dike intrusion under the volcano, as the locations of these quakes seem to suggest activity in the center of the topographically indistinct caldera region.

The Smithsonian GVP characterizes Krafla:

"The Krafla central volcano, located NE of Myvatn lake, is a topographically indistinct 10-km-wide caldera that is cut by a N-S-trending fissure system. Eruption of a rhyolitic welded tuff about 100,000 years ago was associated with formation of the caldera. Krafla has been the source of many rifting and eruptive events during the Holocene, including two in historical time, during 1724-29 and 1975-84. The prominent Hverfjall and Ludent tuff rings east of Myvatn were erupted along the 100-km-long fissure system, which extends as far as the north coast of Iceland. Iceland's renowned Myvatn lake formed during the eruption of the older Laxarhraun lava flow from the Ketildyngja shield volcano of the Fremrinamur volcanic system about 3800 years before present (BP); its present shape is constrained by the roughly 2000 years BP younger Laxarhraun lava flow from the Krafla volcanic system. The abundant pseudocraters that form a prominent part of the Myvatn landscape were created when the younger Laxarhraun lava flow entered the lake."

Krafla is highly active, geothermally speaking. It boasts many fumeroles, mud pots, and fissure systems. The last eruption began in 1974, and ended in 1984, a 10-year cycle that produced massive amounts of magma. Eruptions from Krafla today would likely not produce massive amounts of ash, rather it would most likely be a repeat of the previous eruption with fissure fed lava flows, and flood basalts that would no doubt produce a large amount of CO2/SO2 emissions, but otherwise be largely undamaging to populations near and around the world. One casualty, if the volcano should erupt, would most likely be the loss of geothermal prospecting in the area, which could also be the main cause of the recent quakes.

Personally, I would not be very worried about an eruption from Krafla, but I would be very excited to see it happen. These fissure eruptions do not occur worldwide very often, with the exception of Kilauea in Hawaii, and some volcanoes in the Great African Rift Valley, so an eruption like that would produce some very spectacular pictures and video indeed!

Iceland is always a fascinating place to keep an eye on. Even when volcanoes are not erupting, there are always plenty of volcanic-related things to see such as the famed Blue Lagoon, and the newly opened Thrihnukagigur volcano tour, where you are actually lowered into an extinct (or dormant) volcano's magma chamber! Not to mention the famed Hekla volcano, of which many people in the Viking era considered to be the 'official' entrance to Hell. ironically, the famed Viti craters of Krafla and Mývatn literally mean, "Hell", and Icelanders for many centuries believed that volcanoes were the physical entrance to such a place.

This most recent event is most likely a random anomaly, and probably not significant, however Iceland is a fascinating and random place as far as volcanoes are considered. Eyjafjallajökull erupted with little more than a month's notice after several centuries of inactivity, and other frequent offenders have laid dormant for decades. It is truly a landscape of unparalleled beauty and danger, and one of the few spots on the planet where you can be an eyewitness to how the earth builds land!

Earthquake Swarm and Possible Dike Intrusion at Krísuvík Volcano in Iceland

There is not a whole lot going on in the world in respect to new eruptions or volcanoes at this moment, however Iceland is always fascinating to watch. Today there was a swarm of quakes just SW of the Kleifarvatn lake, just south of the epicenter of Krísuvík volcano. The quakes were shallow, weak, and numerous, but the area is highly active, much like most of Iceland. Most of the quakes registered below a 1.0 magnitude, but were clearly seen on the many Icelandic seismic sensors. The are is home to many thermal vents, as well as hot springs, fumeroles, and fissures.

The last known eruption of Krísuvík volcano was in the 14th century (the 1500's). A few eruptions have taken place at this location after Iceland was settled, but nothing in recent times. It is probable that this swarm will not lead to an eruption any time soon, but Iceland sits on a spreading fault, so it is not a matter of if, but when this volcano will erupt again.

There are several volcanoes in Iceland that are expected to erupt at least within the next 10 years. Those are Katla, Askja, Grimsvötn (or Grimsfjall, Grimsnes), Hekla, and the Reykjanes Ridge, all of which show heightened seismic and thermal activity. However for most of these volcanoes, it is normal to display some kind of activity, and no eruption for any of these, save probably Katla and Hekla, are certain.

Icelands last major eruptions were from Eyjafjallajökull, and Grimsvötn. The Grimsvötn eruption, while spectacular to watch, was nowhere near as big a deal as the Eyjafjallajökull eruption which caused widespread economic damage due to flights to and from Europe being grounded for weeks because of the ash cloud it produced. The ash from Grimsvötn is much more coarse and larger grained than the very fine and powdery ash produced by the Eyjafjallajökull eruption, and thus fell to the earth quickly and did not get picked up by the jet stream.

The activity at Krísuvík can be attributed to a few causes. For one, Iceland is one of the worlds largest users of hydrothermal/geothermal energy, and regularly injects water into hot rocks to produce steam. This does sometimes cause swarms of quakes to occur, and it is rather hard to tell whether or not this could be related, but as the quakes happened on an active spreading fault, I suspect this is not the case, rather a small magma dike intrusion probably occurred.

Around the world most dormant volcanoes are sleeping or slowly rumbling away. Mt Etna did display some nice activity this weekend, but other than Etna's fireworks show, most active volcanoes showed relatively little activity during the month. Not good for us volcano bloggers out there to tell a story, but hey, the Earth does what it wants on its own time with little concern for my Google money! Hopefully this post is at least a good diversion! I'll post more as it occurs!

2.0 Magnitude Quake Strikes Eyjafjallajökull

A Magnitude 2.0 quake struck the Eastern flank of Eyjafjallajökull today, near the same spot of the initial fissure eruption at Fimmvörðuháls. There could be many explanations for this quake, such as structural settling of the post-eruption fissure region, or resumed intrusion of magma into the Eyjafjallajökull-Katla transform region. It is simply too early to tell as this quake pretty much happened within the last hour, so this will be a short post until/if anything further occurs in the region.

There were also two >1.0 mag quakes within the Katla caldera.

Other areas of Iceland experiencing heightened seismicity include the Reykjanes peninsula near the Brennisteinsfjöll volcanic field where more than 27 quakes, two above magnitude 3.5, have struck within the last 24 hours. An area to the East, near Hengill volcano is experiencing continued seismicity due to geothermal exploration and power generation (Iceland is the worlds biggest user of geothermal energy). The quake swarm at Brennisteinsfjöll is strong, and is probably related to magma dike intrusion, however the area has not seen any eruptions since the 14th century, so it is difficult to say what's happening here. Harmonic tremor is being detected at this location, so the quakes are most likely volcanic in nature.

Tremors at Reykjanes peninsula within the last 48 hours.

Katla Volcano Showing More Tremor

Katla volcano in Iceland has been showing more harmonic tremor pulses as well as minor earthquake swarms within the caldera. This has been typical of Katla for almost a year now ever since it's very minor eruption in mid 2011. Icelandic scientists are quite sure this is minor magma dike intrusion into the caldera system. Katla will erupt in the future, however when is anyone's guess, but it will be sooner rather than later.

The winter in Iceland usually calms geological processes while the ice accumulates, but during spring/summer, the massive amounts of ice start to disappear, making it easier for gases to escape and making the potential for volcanic activity a bit higher. Some scientists believe that melting glaciers on volcanoes can initiate a 'rebound' effect on volcanoes that were covered in ice, resulting in a volcano that is able to erupt more easily. The rebound effect can be seen in the USA's Great Lakes region, an area of former glaciation that is rising geologically very fast (around a couple of cm a year) after the ice sheet retreated following the last ice age. This leads scientists to assume that in Iceland, volcanic activity can actually be affected by the seasons. While this has not been 100% proven and made scientific cannon, it is a compelling theory. Scientists have long theorized that the continent of Greenland might be hiding 'suppressed' volcanoes under the vast plains of ice that make up most of the continent. Again, this has never been proven as the ice is far too thick for a geological readout.

But Katla doesn't seem to mind the ice and snow. Last year it had a minor subglacial eruption (or what is firmly believed to be one) that resulted in glacier outburst floods and damage to a bridge and road. This occurred despite the massive glacier on top, and has erupted before through many meters of ice. I'm not entirely sure Icelandic volcanoes are affected much by being capped with Ice. Grimsvotn volcano doesn't seem to mind the ice either.

The swarm today was particularly strong at Katla, with over 15 quakes within the last 24 hours, all under magnitude 1.5. but clustered very close to each other in the caldera. Check out the swarm below.

New Earthquake Swarm in Katla Volcano

Katla volcano in Iceland had a swarm of quakes within the caldera region today, with the largest magnitude hovering around 2.5. Quake swarms have been a common occurrence in the volcano since its small, but damaging eruption in 2011 where a glacial outburst flood (jokullhlaup) destroyed some public infrastructure (bridges).

Blogger Jon Frimann, who is typically the best direct source for Icelandic volcanic events, has been monitoring what he considers to be magma dike intrusion beneath Katla since this eruption. Katla volcano was expected to have a large eruption after the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in 2010, but has since proven that attempting to predict volcanic eruptions of any kind is a foolish endeavor. Many Icelandic scientists have been quoted as saying, "It's not a matter of if, but when". We are on the "when" stage of an eruption for Katla now.

Katla has the potential of generating huge eruptions (of a probable VEI 3) if it was to get a large injection of magma into its chamber. Currently, it appears that if this is indeed magma dike intrusion (which is definitely a strong possibility with this volcano), the intrusion appears to be quite minor. It is probable that any eruption from Katla at this time may be very small, as larger magma intrusions generate much larger quakes.

However, if magma is able to create a solid and consistent channel to the surface, there is the possibility for a stronger eruption. Katla volcano is overlain by the Mýrdalsjökull glacier, many meters thick. So an eruption of Katla would likely be a repeat of the Eyjafjallajökull conditions where hot magma/lava hits glacial ice and creates a large and fine ash cloud. This of course waits to be seen.

Below is the tremor graph for today's quakes, showing both the location and timeline for the quakes.

Image copyright Iceland Met Office.

An earthquake swarm also occurred at the Hengill volcanic area, but this is mainly due to geothermal power development in the area. This is quite similar to the seismicity at the Clear Lake volcanic field in California, USA.

Large Earthquake Swarm at Reyjanes Ridge, Iceland

A large and long duration earthquake swarm hit the Reykjanes ridge of the SW coast of Iceland today, and is ongoing. The largest events were slightly above 3.0 magnitude, with many smaller events. The Reykjanes Ridge is part of the underwater seafloor spreading system that occurs between the North American plate, and the European plate, and is prone to frequent submarine eruptions and seismicity. It is unclear at this time from reading bad Icelandic translations from Ruv.is whether they are saying this is an eruption, or simple seismicity (I suspect the translated word "eruption" is misplaced in this article, and might mean "swarm", but as I do not speak the language, that's a guess!).

Tremor Graph from Reyjanes Ridge. Image copyright Iceland Meteorological Office.

Locations of the earthquake swarm (SW). Image copyright Iceland Meteorological Office.

Judging from the placement, location, and size of these quakes, it could be reasonable to assume that an underwater eruption might be occurring, however the depths, weather, and other factors could easily prevent direct observation, and volcanologists would have to infer an eruption from instrument readings (which can sometimes lie). At this point, nothing has been confirmed nor denied.

The GVP characterizes this area as such:

"The submarine Reykjaneshryggur volcanic system off the SW tip of Iceland is part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which is exposed subaerially in Iceland. Numerous submarine eruptions at Reykjaneshryggur dating back to the 12th century have been observed during historical time, some of which have formed ephemeral islands. Basaltic rocks of probable Holocene age have been recovered during dredging operations, and tephra deposits from earlier Holocene eruptions are preserved on the nearby Reykjanes Peninsula."

There are no volcanoes on the Reykjanes ridge that have breached the sea surface in historical time. There is a small 'chunk' of an island along the ridge that was formerly (most likely) a volcanic feature that has since been eroded to a steep walled 'plug', named Eldey, which has the sad distinction of being the last known location of the 'great auk', a penguin-like bird that was hunted to extinction, and the last known living specimens strangled and their eggs squashed by careless hunters. The Wikipedia article on this bird is particularly sad.

I will keep my eyes peeled on the Reykjanes ridge for the time being, and post updates if anything new develops.

Tremors at Eyjafjallajökull and Katla (Iceland) Today

Several small quakes struck Eyjafjallajökull today, as the seismic swarm continued at Katla caldera in Iceland. Two small flank tremors and one at the summit hit Eyjafjallajökull within the last 12 hours. Numerous other small tremors have also continued under the Mýrdalsjökull glacier capping Katla's caldera system. Several volcano moitoring scientists, agencies, and bloggers have noted the unrest under Katla, and suspect that minor dike intrusion is occurring under the volcano.

The quakes and tremors under Eyjafjallajökull are small, but four have occurred within the last 12 hours. Numerous tremors can be seen under Katla. None of these quakes exceed magnitude 3.0.

In the case of Eyjafjallajökull, it is entirely possible these are not volcanic quakes, rather they could be structural adjustments to the volcano due to it having had a recent eruption (April 2010), and further settling of the volcano on the crust. GPS deformation charts are not available to look at at this time, so it is unclear if inflation or deflation is occurring. Looking at the Iceland Met Office website, all GPS data looks flat on all sites, so their equipment may not be functional at this time (I blame the weather). It will be interesting to keep an eye on, nonetheless.

Eyjafjallajökull caused havoc for air travel to and from Europe during its eruption that began in April of 2010. It was a fascinating eruption to watch, as it started out with a somewhat benign and beautiful fissure eruption on its NE flank (in an area known as Fimmvörðuháls) between the main summits of Eyjafjallajökull and Katla. This eruption lasted around a month, and became quite a tourist attraction, with a great webcam view for a time. After the cone ceased to erupt, there was a short lull in activity from the volcano, before it erupted suddenly and powerfully from its main summit caldera. The eruption was actually rather minor for an Iceland volcano, but due to prevailing winds, and the latitude of the eruption, Europe and Europe's airspace was choked with ash.

This resulted in a months long ban from air travel, while Europe and other parts of the world bemoaned Eyjafjallajökull and the severe inconvenience it brought upon them. Celebrities were stranded, industries were paralyzed, and in the end, Eyjafjallajökull caused billions of dollars to be lost due to economic damage.

Iceland volcanoes have a violent history. Some of its eruptions have been devastating on a global scale, especially the famed Laki fissure eruption that covered a large part of Iceland in volcanic basalt lava, and unleashed incredible amounts of sulphur dioxide into Earth atmosphere for years. This caused a worldwide famine, global cool down, and some say it was actually responsible for sparking the French Revolution! And eruptions from Hekla are famed for the terror they caused to ancient Vikings, who referred to it as "The doorway to Hell".

This has made any news about Iceland volcanoes hot topics for tabloid news, and the usual rabble like Fox or the BBC/Daily Mail. Eyjafjallajökull is NOT currently erupting, nor is it expected to again any time soon. However, volcanoes do have a habit of reminding us that they cannot be predicted in the first place, so vigilance is important with volcanoes, especially the ones that have erupted in historical time. So to be clear, there are NO eruptions currently going on in Iceland, and nothing is imminent. It looks like Katla might be reloading, as well as Grímsvötn (American name). But neither has erupted yet this year.

Possible Dike Intrusion at Katla Volcano, Iceland

Seismographs are recording a large amount of small quakes beneath the Mýrdalsjökull glacier in Katla's caldera in the past 48 hours. Over 20 small quakes have so far hit a concentrated area, which usually indicates slow dike intrusion under the volcano. Katla, next door to the now infamous Eyjafjallajökull volcano which caused massive transportation disruptions in April of 2010, is far larger and has been known to erupt with much more fury than Eyjafjallajökull.

Katla may have had a minor eruption earlier in 2011, when a glacial outburst flood (jökullhlaup) came suddenly and destroyed a small bridge with debris in a lahar-like surge. This was considered by some to be a small eruption, possibly preceding future stronger activity.

While many Icelandic volcanologists have expected Katla to blow shortly after Eyjafjallajökull, it has yet to occur. This new intrusion could be the start of more activity, but it will likely be small. It could be Katla might just have a few small eruptions rather than a large one, but it's anyone's guess at this time.

                                           

Image from Icelandic Meteorological Office website showing current quake swarm at Katla.

Katla has not had a major eruption in quite some time. Some of Katla's previous eruptions have been record setting events that produced some of the largest amounts of tephra and basaltic lava flows that Iceland has ever witnessed (except for of course the famed eruption of the Laki fissure system, credited for worldwide famine and the straw that broke the camel's back for France preceding the revolution). While Katla's future is highly uncertain, the only certain thing that can be said about it is that it is active, it will erupt again, and probably soon.

Other than this, speculation is always useless with Icelandic volcanoes. The media like BBC and DailyMail will no doubt hype this up tot he point people are hysterical... while those of us who know better will sit back and wait for the show with the knowledge that this is probably going to be a non event.

Earthquakes Continue At Katla, Reykjanes Peninsula

Earthquakes continued to be present within Katla's caldera under the Mýrdalsjökull glacier in Iceland. Approximately 13 quakes have occurred within the last 72 hours, most under 1.5 magnitude. These quakes have been ongoing for a while now, ever since the last minor/small eruption at Katla earlier this year when a glacier outburst flood (Jökulhlaup) resulted in some minor damage to bridges and infrastructure. Katla has been relatively quiet since, with some scientists seeing the minor eruption as a precursor to something bigger, however they point out that is just speculation.

It is entirely possible however that these small quakes are merely crustal adjustments, with more ice being deposited on the Mýrdalsjökull glacier during the peak of Winter. Slight harmonic tremor has been detected, which could also indicate minor dike intrusion into the caldera, but again, that is speculative.

Also in Iceland there has been an ongoing swarm of earthquakes at the Reykjanes peninsula, occurring near the volcano Hengill, in the Hveragerdi thermal area. These quakes are likely due to geothermal projects in the area, much like what is occurring at Clear Lake in California, at the Geysers geothermal field. Injecting water and chemicals miles deep to interact with superheated rock results in steam and steam pressure coming up to the surface, which in turn power turbines creating electrical and heat energy. Iceland is home to some of the largest and most advanced geothermal energy production plants in the world, with the entire country now using almost completely renewable energy. This does however, come with the trade-off of near constant small quakes. I suppose it is less annoying to Icelanders than it is to Californians, given Iceland's sparse population and the frequency of eruptions and earthquakes in the area.

In any case, the quakes at Reykjanes are likely man-made, however the area is active thermally (obviously), and the last eruption was "only" a thousand years ago. The area lies on the spreading ridge which separates the American and European plate, and will erupt in the future (as with the rest of Iceland's volcanoes that share this rifting system). The rift itself spreads at a rate about the same as a growing fingernail, and has created some of Iceland's most spectacular geological features, such as the famed Thingvallir rift valley, the site of one of the first democratic councils in the world's history (due to its formation, leaders would sit atop a natural "throne" and speak down to their population, with resounding acoustics).

Back to Katla, it will probably have an eruption one of these days, however I want to point out that the mainstream media is hyping this possibility to ridiculous levels. It's not going to be a doomsday scenario, it's not going to be a major disaster as Icelanders are VERY aware of the possibility and likely have plenty of emergency contingencies to prepare for the worst, and the media hype is the direct fault of Eyjafjallajokull, who's ash cloud made some airlines very nervous. The effect, if any, of another ash cloud over Europe this time around will be smaller, as airlines fed up with having to deal with natural occurrences such as eruptions have invented a new system for airplanes to detect airborne ash called A.V.O.I.D. (I think this stands for Automated Volcanic Object Infrared Detector... something along those lines) which combines infrared, GPS, satellite, and air sample data to enable pilots to alter course without putting any aircraft at risk of volcanic ash being sucked into jet engines.

More on this if anything develops.

El Hierro Eruption Resumes Activity

On Dec. 5th, eruptive activity was strong at El Hierro in the Canary Islands, Spain. Video from the scene showed strong 'jacuzzi' action and a large green stain in the ocean. The helicopter flyover is probably the best video to look at on the mentioned link, which gets quite close to the surface for a really spectacular view. Video for today however is a bit tough to come by (if any readers feel they'd like to post some more current video links, I'd be much obliged).

While tremor has died down, and resumed, and died down again on the island, the eruptive activity has also stopped and started again many times over the last month. I believe this volcano will eventually burst through the surface of the ocean as it appears thus far to be a long term eruption. Indication are that magma is still on the move underneath the island and as indicated by surface observations, this eruption is anything but winding down.

If indeed the volcano does break the water surface, you can be assured that its entrance will be much like the eruption of Surtsey in Iceland in the 1960's. Once the volcano does break the surface, it will be in it's "Surtseyan Phase", meaning it is starting to build an offshore island, and will likely be accompanied by explosive activity, and probably some ash clouds. This phase lasts until (typically) the cone closes off the erupting lava from the sea water, at which point, the eruption can change to other eruptive types. It could be that smooth pahoehoe lavas would be erupted, or it could be a more explosive, rhyolitic eruption.

From the chemical analysis of the lavas thus far, all indications are that it will likely be a rhyolitic eruption. Since submersible ROV's have not been able to directly observe the underwater eruption, they have no direct video evidence of the characteristics of the lava on the sea floor (ie: whether it is blocky, chunky lava, or smoother pahoehoe pillow lava). The samples taken from the ocean surface that have floated up are high in gas content, and rhyolite, meaning that once the volcano pierces the ocean surface, it may very well be an explosive, and potentially dangerous eruption for the residents of El Hierro, but at this time, that's all speculation, and not based on any scientific fact.

Keep your eyes peeled on the El Hierro webcams, as you might be fortunate enough to see the birth of a new island via live streaming! If the eruption continues on at the pace it is, it's only a matter of time before you can see a brand spanking new island be born. The only downside to viewing the webcams from the West Coast in the USA is that it's usually night time over in the Canary Islands by 10am here... So I've had a few sleepless nights gazing at the eruption cams, and some very early mornings.... but it's well worth it.

Alaska's Gareloi Volcano Showing Harmonic Tremor

Alaska's Gareloi volcano, in the Aleutian Islands, appears to be displaying strong harmonic tremor. AVO states "Seismic station GAEA is 3.3 km (2.0 miles) from the summit of Mount Gareloi", so this does appear to be directly monitoring the volcano. Note the increasing strength of the tremor, similar to the tremor recently observed at El Hierro in the Canary Islands during its current eruptive phase. (Image Below)

Gareloi is a very remote volcano on the SE of the Bering Sea, and thus visual reports from the area are few and far between. It is indeed possible that volcanoes regularly erupt in this area without anyone noticing due to inclement weather, and sparse population. The recent eruption/lava dome extrusion that occurred on Cleveland volcano this past few months was only observed through satellite photos, which are expensive to schedule, so it would not surprise me in the very least if AVO never confirms an eruption at Gareloi (although you can email them, and they do usually respond, which is nice).

Gareloi is one of the Aleutian Islands most active volcanoes, having had several historical eruptions. Below is information from Smithsonian GVP:

"The 8 x 10 km diameter Gareloi Island, the northernmost volcano of the Delarof Group at the western end of the Andreanof Islands, consists of a stratovolcano with two summits and a SE-trending fissure. This prominent fissure was formed during an eruption in 1929 and extends from the southern summit to the sea. Steep sea cliffs that are cut into rocks of an older, eroded center are found on the SW coast. Young lava flows cover the older volcano from the 1573-m-high summit of Gareloi to the coast along three broad axes trending NW, ENE, and south. The 1929 eruption originated from 13 craters along a 4-km-long fissure. Phreatic explosions were followed by the ejection of glassy pumice, lapilli, scoria, and older blocks, as well as by the emission of four short, steep lava flows, one of which reached the SE coast."

Indonesia's Mount Gamalama Erupts, Closing Airports

Another of Indonesia's volcanoes erupted today, causing airports to shut down near Halmahera. Mount Gamalama sent clouds of gray ash high into the air, while locals reported seeing lava descent from the summit down the volcano's flanks. The last major eruption of Gamalama was in 2003, and had similar affects on the local population.

From Smithsonian GVP:

Gamalama (Peak of Ternate) is a near-conical stratovolcano that comprises the entire island of Ternate off the western coast of Halmahera and is one of Indonesia's most active volcanoes. The island of Ternate was a major regional center in the Portuguese and Dutch spice trade for several centuries, which contributed to the thorough documentation of Gamalama's historical activity. Three cones, progressively younger to the north, form the summit of Gamalama, which reaches 1715 m. Several maars and vents define a rift zone, parallel to the Halmahera island arc, that cuts the volcano. Eruptions, recorded frequently since the 16th century, typically originated from the summit craters, although flank eruptions have occurred in 1763, 1770, 1775, and 1962-63.

New Activity in Grímsvötn Volcano, Iceland

Several sources are reporting harmonic tremor at Grímsvötn volcano in Iceland. Grímsvötn volcano had its largest eruption in 140 years just months ago in May of 2011, which was approximately 10 times the size of the eruption at Eyjafjallajökull in 2010. The eruption at Grímsvötn however fell upon favorable winds for Europe, and did not cause the same amount of airway chaos as the 2010 eruption.

Reports thus far are that the tremor in Grímsvötn is much higher and stronger than the tremor that led up to its last eruption. This however does not mean that an eruption is imminent, or going to occur for sure. Harmonic tremor does typically indicate magma movement, but it could also be hydrothermal. In any case, the tremor could merely mean that the magma chamber is beginning to inflate again, and this could stop at any time if the pressure is right.

Grímsvötn is one of Iceland's most active volcanoes, and also one of the largest. Its remote location in the middle of the Grimsfjall glacier, the largest in Iceland, makes it a relatively safe volcano, all things considered. It has however had massive eruptions that in the past have discharged incredible amounts of glacial melt water into the ocean. The last eruption, though powerful, did not last long enough to melt a significant portion of the glacier, though floods did occur.

More Quakes Added To Mono Lake Quake Swarm

At this time, the quakes in the initial Mono Lake swarm have reached over 15 shallow tremors East of the lake. No news from geologists as of yet on this, however the quakes do seem to be getting deeper, not shallower, which could be a good thing volcanically speaking... or not. There are a couple possibilities.

One possibility is that surface activity regarding the quakes is sending tectonic tension downward, eventually causing lower and lower depth quakes, with some upper region quakes accompanying that activity. The second possibility is that the surface tension has been broken, allowing for magma intrusion from a lower depth. As far as I know, that's the only reason for a shallow initial swarm, with lower depth tremors following. The only other explanation is that these quakes are possibly precursors to a larger one, or that these are simply tectonic in nature.

In any case, since nobody is really covering this yet, I'm keeping my eye on it. I highly doubt this has the possibility to lead to an eruption, but as the saying goes, speculation is useless. 

Growing Fears About Katla Eruption (And Why You Should Pay No Attention)

Previously I've written about Katla, Iceland's large volcano capped by a glacier, next door to the now infamous Eyjafjallajokull volcano. In that article I mentioned that Katla is a ticking time bomb, and an eruption from Katla would likely be devastating economically, and possibly physically, as molten lava crashes into glacial ice causing immense explosions. However I did state in that article that "attempting to predict when an eruption will happen is a waste of time, as is proven time and again."

The News Media in the UK does not seem to understand this. An article released by the BBC today has a lot of great facts about Katla, but injected a silly notion into the article that "An eruption is imminent" or "long overdue".... I'm sorry, I didn't know we were on the BBC's schedule when it came to volcanoes erupting... I was under the impression that volcanoes erupt when conditions are right, conditions that only the volcano knows.

So I want to be QUITE clear about this. Katla WILL LIKELY ERUPT in the future, but it is IMPOSSIBLE to say when. Like I said in a previous post, it could be a matter of hours, days, weeks, months, or even years, decades, or centuries. Heck, it might not even blow up at all, and simply seethe as other volcanoes of the world do. The point is, trying to play up the possibility of a massive eruption by calling it "Imminent" or "Overdue" is presumptuous and damaging to good science.

In any case, here is the real info on Katla. Yes, it may have had a minor eruption this year which caused a glacier outburst flood and damaged some roads and a bridge. Yes, Katla has indeed had over 500 earthquakes in the last month within the caldera. And yes, historically speaking, we should be aware of Katla after an eruption from Eyjafjoll... but these are all merely indicators that "the volcano is active, and not dead", and it does not mean that a volcano eruption is "Imminent" or "Overdue". The same thing could be said about Yellowstone Volcano, that it breathes in and out, has active geysers, and many many swarms of earthquakes... yet it has not erupted in our lifetime, or in historical time.

So before you go getting all panicky about an eruption from Katla, just remember who you're reading about the volcano from. The BBC, much like any news organization, is out to make money, not promote sound science. The more people they can get worrying about a supposed doomsday scenario, the more bad press they sell. Iceland is furious about the bad coverage about Katla, and is trying its best to get the truth out, so I will help them.

So to recap, yep, Katla isn't dead, it is an active volcano. That's the only fact you'll find that you can stake your reputation on. Other than that, yeah, its a dangerous volcano and probably will erupt. Saying when, again, is STUPID, unscientific, and foolish. Let's just say, I personally would not go hiking to the summit any time soon. Other than that, don't lose any sleep over Katla if you don't live in Iceland... and even if you do, you're probably fine.

Tungurahua (Ecuador) Volcano Has Major Explosion

Ecuador
11/29/2011

Tungurahua volcano, one of Ecuador's most active volcanoes, had a major explosion which began suddenly without warning. The ash column reached some 3 kilometers in the sky, with reports of incandescent lava being spewed out up to 300 meters from the summit, and 500 meters down the slopes. Tungurahua has, since 1999, displayed frequent explosive eruptions generating pyroclastic flows, lava bombs, and tephra. It has been active throughout historical time.

Tungurahua viewed from Juive Grande, Ecuador (AFP, Pablo Cozzaglio)

(From the Smithsonian GVP:)
Tungurahua, a steep-sided andesitic-dacitic stratovolcano that towers more than 3 km above its northern base, is one of Ecuador's most active volcanoes. Three major volcanic edifices have been sequentially constructed since the mid-Pleistocene over a basement of metamorphic rocks. Tungurahua II was built within the past 14,000 years following the collapse of the initial edifice. Tungurahua II itself collapsed about 3000 years ago and produced a large debris-avalanche deposit and a horseshoe-shaped caldera open to the west, inside which the modern glacier-capped stratovolcano (Tungurahua III) was constructed. Historical eruptions have all originated from the summit crater. They have been accompanied by strong explosions and sometimes by pyroclastic flows and lava flows that reached populated areas at the volcano's base. Prior to a long-term eruption beginning in 1999 that caused the temporary evacuation of the city of Baños at the foot of the volcano, the last major eruption had occurred from 1916 to 1918, although minor activity continued until 1925.

El Hierro Erupts With New Vents

El Hierro, Canary Islands, Spain
11/28/2011

El Hierro volcano put on a show this weekend as new submarine vents have opened erupting several "Jacuzzis" into view. Pieces of steaming lavas were seen on the surface of the water, and samples were collected by IGN (the Spanish Geological Authority). The samples revealed that several types of magmas are being mixed in this eruption, including low silica basanite, trachyte, and rhyolite. This conforms with the assertion that at least two separate magma columns are coalescing beneath the island to fuel the ongoing eruption.

An image of the multiple "jacuzzis" off the southern coast of La Restinga.


Early morning webcam views showed intermittent jacuzzis, with some floating pumice visible on the water surface, although the most vigorous activity seems to have occurred over the weekend.

There have been several short pauses in the eruption since it began more than two months ago, however seismicity remains constantly active. Tens of thousands of tremors have hit the island in the phase that led to the eruption, and they continue to be recorded at more than 500 events a day, although most cannot be felt by residents.

I will post more updates as they come available, but the reporting out of the island has been lacking to say the least. National Geographic is now on the scene, so at least we can expect a documentary similar to the one about the Iceland volcano that erupted last year to air on TV soon. For now, I am relying on reports from IGN, Wired News, and other sources to cobble together this report. Every article I read points out a different aspect of the eruption, but I'd like to put the whole picture together, hence this blog.

Columbia's Galeras Volcano Alert Level Raised to Orange

BOGOTA, Columbia
11/26/2011

INGEOMINAS, the Columbian volcano monitoring institute, has raised the alert level at Galeras volcano to Orange, after a spate of "tornillos", or rapidly increasing, slowly decreasing harmonic tremor was recorded over the past couple of weeks. These harmonic signals are characteristic of Galeras, which, in 1992 were detected by seismologists and identified as magma intrusion. Unfortunately for the seismologists who were curious about these tremors, they decided to hike to the summit, and were caught in an eruption.

The signals have been said to successfully predict eruptions within a few days at Galeras, and have been used as models for other active volcanoes. Harmonic tremor signals are generally thought to indicate magma intrusion for most volcano types, especially stratovolcanoes, and this research mostly comes from Galeras.

From Wikipedia:
"Galeras is considered the most active volcano in Colombia, followed by Nevado del Ruiz. Its earliest activity during the Holocene has been dated at 7050 BC ± 1000 years through radiocarbon dating. Other eruptions similar to this event include those in 3150 BC ± 200 years, 2580 BC ± 500 years, 1160 BC ± 300 years, 490 BC ± 100 years, and in 890 AD ± 200 years. Typically these eruptions consist of a central vent explosion, conducive to an explosive eruption causing pyroclastic flows and/or lahars. Eruptions in more recent times, which have been recorded consist of those in 1535, December 1580, July 1616, 1641, 1670, 1754, November 1796, June 1823, October 1828, 1834, October 1865, July 1889, 1891, December 1923, October 1924, October 1932, February 1936, July 1947, January 1950, 1974, February 1989, January 1990, January 1993, March 2000, June 2002, July 2004, November 2005, and October 2007. Reported incidents with no official proof occurred in 1836, 1930, 1933, and 1973."

Hawaii's Mauna Loa Making Some Noise

Hawaii (Big Island), USA 11/23/2011

Mauna Loa, Earth's largest active volcano, is showing signs of heightened seismicity in the last few weeks. A mag. 3.0 quake struck on 11/20 followed by a 3.9, at a depth of around 5km. Smaller quakes and aftershocks also occurred. Today, mag 1.9 and 1.7 tremblors struck under the summit and NW flank of the volcano at a depth of 20.80 km (12.92 mi). These could just be purely structural or tectonic, as no heightened gas emission of fumerole temperature changes have been noted aside from the usual night/day fluctuations.

This follows on the heels of the earthquake activity at it's slightly taller neighbor, Mauna Kea, which experienced a large earthquake swarm about a month ago, with small aftershocks continuing. HVO stated in regards to this event "On the afternoon of October 19, a magnitude-4.5 earthquake occurred beneath the northwest flank of Mauna Kea at the start of a swarm more than 50 smaller quakes over the next several hours. The earthquakes were the result of crustal adjustments beneath the volcano and not to volcanic activity. Other than the swarm, typical seismicity was recorded - 6 events shallower than 20 km deep and 5 events deeper than 20 km." Although Mauna Kea did not experience volcanic tremor, as the scientists state, the same cannot be assumed for Mauna Loa without further analysis, given that, like Kiluea, it is one of the worlds most active volcanoes.

HVO's description of Mauna Loa (below):

"Re-inflation of Mauna Loa's shallow magma storage reservoirs started immediately following the most recent eruption in 1984, then turned to deflation for almost a decade. In mid-2002, inflation started again, just after a brief swarm of deep long-period (LP) earthquakes. A more intense swarm of (more than? about?) 2,000 deep LP earthquakes occurred in late 2004, immediately preceding a dramatic increase in inflation rate. Inflation slowed again in 2006, ceased altogether in late 2009, and resumed slowly in late 2010.

Rising gradually to more than 4 km above sea level, Mauna Loa is the largest volcano on our planet. Its long submarine flanks descend to the sea floor an additional 5 km, and the sea floor in turn is depressed by Mauna Loa's great mass another 8 km. This makes the volcano's summit about 17 km (56,000 ft) above its base! The enormous volcano covers half of the Island of Hawai`i and by itself amounts to about 85 percent of all the other Hawaiian Islands combined.

Mauna Loa is among Earth's most active volcanoes, having erupted 33 times since its first well-documented historical eruption in 1843. Its most recent eruption was in 1984."

It's important to note that these earthquakes could easily be crustal adjustments, and not related to any magma intrusion. However given Mauna Loa's history of destructive eruptions, it absolutely pays to keep an eye peeled on this gigantic volcano, that has caused much destruction to the environment, and property on the Big Island. Unlike Kiluea, which is sort of 'aimed away' from most populated centers on the Big Island, Mauna Loa looms over much of the Island, coincidentally making property very cheap, and insurance very expensive. Ahh, the price of paradise.