iceland Bárðarbunga and Askja - Volcanic Activity

[swebby]

Big cumulus visible behind the plume on the line of barar.  Weather or something else?  Showers are in the area on IMO radar http://en.vedur.is/weather/observations/radar/ so not getting to excited yet.

[Buckster]

That cloud in background does look plume like

Interesting

I did almost think I could see streaks of red in it but could be the light

On the verge of something major or maybe a lull in activity

I'm less convinced that whatever is in the background is a cloud now

Edited September 10, 2014 by Buckster

[Filski]

Does the uptick in the strain mean anything? It's been going up and up since this mornings shallow 5.5.

I thought perhaps the water flow looked stronger (in comparison to earlier captures) from the direction of the ice but could be mistaken too.

 

[Filski]

Having a laugh at the truck parked just below the cam.

[Buckster]

Can't really see a thing on the cams now

Ref or bottom right what does that plot (this is on live youtube link) it looks like red is being drawn currently not red spikes but solid red line like from few days ago

[swebby]

Definitely glimpses of something energetic going on when the near cloud parts for long enough to see behind it, question is - weather or plume??  If it's the fissure plume then it is looking very lively all of a sudden.  Now thinking about the askja drum plot from earlier, clear noise on the baseline - water interacting explosively with the lava field maybe?  Have we got a minor flood occurring?  White van man did not look like he was in a hurry to vamoose.

[swebby]

Hmmm - still trying to work out if the rather dramatic appearance of the fissure plume that comes and goes is due to :-

 

a) an artefact caused by changes of light and perspective as the plume moves about.

 

b) differing interactions with the weather/showers.

 

c) some kind of interaction with ground water.

 

d) a genuine indication that the fissure is pulsing (something that was suggested by jon frimann on his latest blog)

 

Just need the wind direction to turn to a more favourable direction and I may get my answer.

[summer fun]

This is a view of the Sulphur Dioxide in the upper troposphere and stratosphere. Sept 9th. So we can see that at least some of the sulphur is making it that high.

 

http://1.usa.gov/1lVLVBW

 

This is the today's picture so far from all atmospheric layers up to stratosphere.

 

http://1.usa.gov/1lVMpIr

 

Shows quite clearly the amount of SO2 in the atmosphere and how far its spreading across the northern hemisphere.

 

These pics are also editable so you can change the overlays.

[Buriedundersnow]

Gisli Olafsson â€@gislio 4m

SO2 levels at Reydarfjordur in Eastern #Iceland measured 2600µg/m3 today - highest ever in country. People told not to labor outside.

[NorthNorfolkWeather]

This is a view of the Sulphur Dioxide in the upper troposphere and stratosphere. Sept 9th. So we can see that at least some of the sulphur is making it that high.

 

http://1.usa.gov/1lVLVBW

 

This is the today's picture so far from all atmospheric layers up to stratosphere.

 

http://1.usa.gov/1lVMpIr

 

Shows quite clearly the amount of SO2 in the atmosphere and how far its spreading across the northern hemisphere.

 

These pics are also editable so you can change the overlays.

• Quote

will not be long before the SO2 in the lower troposphere goes at the way around the top of the world

[Yarmy]

This is a view of the Sulphur Dioxide in the upper troposphere and stratosphere. Sept 9th. So we can see that at least some of the sulphur is making it that high.

 

http://1.usa.gov/1lVLVBW

 

This is the today's picture so far from all atmospheric layers up to stratosphere.

 

http://1.usa.gov/1lVMpIr

 

Shows quite clearly the amount of SO2 in the atmosphere and how far its spreading across the northern hemisphere.

 

These pics are also editable so you can change the overlays.

 

Quite surprised at the extent of that and the amount that has reached the Strat. Those fire fountains must be generating some serious convection cells.

 

I don't know if the concentration levels are sufficient to noticeably affect the short term NH weather patterns. I think probably not, and those latitudes will not be receiving any sunlight in a few weeks time anyway. Still, it's something to keep an eye on.

[NorthNorfolkWeather]

Gisli Olafsson â€@gislio 4m

SO2 levels at Reydarfjordur in Eastern #Iceland measured 2600µg/m3 today - highest ever in country. People told not to labor outside.

US Safety limit is 5000µg/m3 but 2600 is very unpleasant

 

UK COSHH Limits are tighter

 

Derived No Effect Levels are only 2600 for short term exposure and 1300 for long term

Edited September 10, 2014 by NorthNorfolkWeather

[karyo]

Quite surprised at the extent of that and the amount that has reached the Strat. Those fire fountains must be generating some serious convection cells.

 

I don't know if the concentration levels are sufficient to noticeably affect the short term NH weather patterns. I think probably not, and those latitudes will not be receiving any sunlight in a few weeks time anyway. Still, it's something to keep an eye on.

This is why I prefer the iceland volcanoes to erupt in early summer. Volcanoes near the equator are much better placed to affect global temperatures.

Karyo

[Buriedundersnow]

 

Sorry if this has been posted

 

Craters have appeared on two glaciers in Iceland

 

The recent volcano eruptions in Iceland have created enormous circular depressions in two of the country’s glaciers. These dramatic features, which differ from each other in their origins and shape, are visible from the air.

A reconnaissance flight over Bárðar­bunga, the volcano where the first earthquakes were detected last month, shows that the ice over the caldera has fallen nearly 20 meters across an area about 7 kilometers long and 5 kilometers wide. This is a change in volume of 250 million cubic meters. The scientists at the University of Iceland attribute this shift to a movement of the base of the glacier rather than to melting. Magma has drained from a chamber under the glacier as it moves to the northeast and erupts onto the surface. As the chamber has emptied, the rock above it has shifted downward, carrying the glacier ice downward as well. This is the largest subsidence that has been observed in Iceland since measurements of the surface were begun over fifty years ago. This movement does not seem to be associated with geothermal activity at Bárðar­bunga, or of a higher likelihood of an eruption there. A recent photo from a helicopter flight shows the large extent and relative shallowness of this cauldron (the technical term for these craters).

 

 

The rest of the article is here  http://glacierhub.org/2014/09/09/craters-have-appeared-on-two-glaciers-in-iceland/

 

 

 

interesting article but it doesn't count KATLA I was watching a programme the other night on discovery science it was the first time it had been shown as it was relatively new and it was talking about KATLA and they took the guy up onto the glacier and there were also cauldrons up on top of the glacier you could see them and they were saying these were being caused but the heat from below like these ones on BARDARBUNGA so really its three glaciers which have these cauldrons happening on them the ones on KALTA they were saying appeared over the last 12 months but if you take into account probably a six month period between filming and this appearing on the telly then 18 months or so these kind of things have been appearing there as well.

 

there is a tendency for when eruptions happen on this off shoot of the main central rift area that runs through Iceland then it means the whole area activates and goes through periods of high energy then periods where it goes to sleep so we may be seeing the whole area going into an active period so there should be more eruptions to follow throughout this whole area in the coming years.

[Yarmy]

interesting article but it doesn't count KATLA I was watching a programme the other night on discovery science it was the first time it had been shown as it was relatively new and it was talking about KATLA and they took the guy up onto the glacier and there were also cauldrons up on top of the glacier you could see them and they were saying these were being caused but the heat from below like these ones on BARDARBUNGA so really its three glaciers which have these cauldrons happening on them the ones on KALTA they were saying appeared over the last 12 months but if you take into account probably a six month period between filming and this appearing on the telly then 18 months or so these kind of things have been appearing there as well.

 

there is a tendency for when eruptions happen on this off shoot of the main central rift area that runs through Iceland then it means the whole area activates and goes through periods of high energy then periods where it goes to sleep so we may be seeing the whole area going into an active period so there should be more eruptions to follow throughout this whole area in the coming years.

 

 

Think I saw that. 'How the Earth Works'?  

 

Liz Bonnin was co-presenting which is always a bonus.

[Buriedundersnow]

Think I saw that. 'How the Earth Works'?  

 

Liz Bonnin was co-presenting which is always a bonus.

 

 

aye that's the one it was quite interesting and gave a lot of information about LAKI and KATLA it didn't really go on too much about BARDARBUNGA but it was before all this starting kicking off .

[karyo]

A couple of big ones just happened according to the IMO website! 4.1 and 4.7 but they may get upgraded later.

[BrickFielder]

  I thought today I would take a little trip back into the wacky land of theory and amateur guess work to try to answer some of my own questions.

Sulphur Dioxide Content

First up I have some questions about the sulphur dioxide content of the lava and the simple answer seems to be that the lava is Basaltic (as opposed to Andesitic or Rhyolitic). It may be a little more complicated than that though as there are suggestions that older crust may have different levels of sulphur content to modern crust.

http://scrippsscholars.ucsd.edu/jmdday/content/anomalous-sulphur-isotopes-plume-lavas-reveal-deep-mantle-storage-archaean-crust

 I think this may have implications for the source of the magma below Bárðarbunga and perhaps how much existing top level crust is melted into the magma.

http://scrippsscholars.ucsd.edu/jmdday/content/phantom-archean-crust-mangaia-hotspot-lavas-and-meaning-heterogeneous-mantle

 This to me suggests that the magma source is mainly from melting of older crust below the current top level of crust and not much of the possible rubble infill into the Bárðarbunga magma chamber from previous caldera collapses has been melted into the lava.

Plumbing

One of my questions has been around where the Bárðarbunga magma chamber is and whether parts of the caldera floor are breaking or collapsing which might thin the caldera floor and lead to  the lowering of the caldera floor in the center. One research paper which seems to hint at a possibility of this is the following one.

http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Vyacheslav_Zobin/publication/223890790_The_fault_nature_of_the_Ms_5.4_volcanic_earthquake_preceding_the_1996_subglacial_eruption_of_Grimsvtn_volcano_Iceland/links/0c96052a0b90eebb7e000000?origin=publication_detail

For those that do not want to read the paper then the magma chamber under Bárðarbunga looks a bit like the following according to the paper.


Personally I am not convinced and would favour perhaps two chambers with the upper one being partially filled with rock from a previous caldera collapse. I just do not think 7km of caldera floor will bend enough to allow the sinking of the center of the caldera floor that we are seeing.

 

Overview of events today

 

I may post a quick review of events today later.

[summer fun]

Quite surprised at the extent of that and the amount that has reached the Strat. Those fire fountains must be generating some serious convection cells.

 

I don't know if the concentration levels are sufficient to noticeably affect the short term NH weather patterns. I think probably not, and those latitudes will not be receiving any sunlight in a few weeks time anyway. Still, it's something to keep an eye on.

 

Definitely worth watching especially if the eruption goes on for months.

 

I thought it was a bit of a surprise to see the emissions that high in the atmosphere. The stratosphere at the poles starts around 8 km (26000 ft) ASL.

 

Given that the eruption is around 5500 ft ASL (that's a guess) then it would still require a plume of around 21000ft which i thought had not occurred yet, i thought it was only around 15000ft.

 

what effect on climate and health would high concentrations in the lower/middle troposphere of SO2 building up over the northern hemisphere have if the eruption continued for months?.

[Tom Jarvis]

we are getting stong tremor spikes across all of the stations wonder what is going on??

[KyleHenry]

we are getting stong tremor spikes across all of the stations wonder what is going on??

The live cam shows what looks like a larger volume of lava on the surface.

I guess this from red glow on plume from the surface upwards

[KyleHenry]

The fissure has to have opened further and for a longer distance

[Rustynailer]

we are getting stong tremor spikes across all of the stations wonder what is going on??

Difficult to tell accurately but, I'll have a go.

I think he fissure has erupted under the glacier, it is the thin bit of the glacier nearest the existing fissure eruptions., just another crack in the fissure line, but nearer Bada and under ice.

The gasses coming out of the fresh eruption and what were coming out of the original eruption in its later stages earlier today, signal a subtle change in magma composition, it is more evolved, this means that the magma coming out now is stuff that was near the surface and has nearly erupted before, it has being lying around for 100's years.  Evolved magma can be very dangerous, gas content can be different and it can be more explosive lava sometimes. 

 

I watch with interest and awe, Badabunga is still emptying its (now partially evolved) magma down the fissure, some is taken up by the spreading North Atlantic fissure, some is erupted, either way Bada gets more dangerous by the hour, that caldera will reach a critical point over the next day or two I speculate. 

 

I aught to add that evolved magma can make a noisy tremor signal as it is volatile stuff, also tremor spikes are likely due to fresh eruption areas.

There are other reasons perhaps, but these two fit the bill ATM...

Edited September 10, 2014 by Rustynailer

[Mapantz]

http://icelandreview.com/news/2014/09/09/holuhraun-largest-lava-eruption-iceland-19th-century

[Rustynailer]

http://icelandreview.com/news/2014/09/09/holuhraun-largest-lava-eruption-iceland-19th-century

"you can see how the Holuhraun eruption compares to New York: the lava would now cover Manhattan to 53rd Street and its volume would frame the entire Empire State Building, except the tip of the antenna."

 

Like that bit , it sort of gets it in to something we can relate too.

 

I must point out that until we see the evidence from the camera or IMO, that a fissure eruption has started nearer the Bada volcano, under the glacier.

It is only me assuming what is going on, it could be nothing like what I have said in the posts above.

We will see   

Strains throughout Iceland from this, Hekla is a hair trigger sort of beast, don't take too much tugging and pulling...

 

This morning at 10  

 

 

Edited September 10, 2014 by Rustynailer