At the end of December, a volcano in Iceland near Grindavik finally erupted after weeks of retaliation. After spewing lava for several days, Sundhniksjar volcano stopped on December 22. Until then, the Icelandic Meteorological Institute (IMO) has indicated that there is a chance of a new eruption. It is now increasing day by day. Measurements show that underground magma pressure is rising, increasing the risk of an eruption in the coming days or weeks.
look. Iceland volcano erupts after weeks of earthquakes
Measurements by the Icelandic Meteorological Institute (IMO) show that the speed of ground movements near Svartsingi is decreasing. Experts confirmed this after analyzing GPS data. This slowdown indicates that underground magma pressure is increasing, increasing the chance of another volcanic eruption. This change in Earth’s surface deformation is similar to that which occurred on December 15, several days before the previous eruption. Admittedly, it is difficult at this stage to estimate whether the same pattern will repeat itself.
One of the first signs that a new eruption is about to occur is a sudden increase in seismic activity. In recent days, the number of earthquakes has remained constant in the region, about 200 per day. Although all of them have a magnitude below 1. Since 29 December, their magnitude has increased again with 30 earthquakes above 1. The largest was one with a magnitude of 2.1 north of Grindavik.
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If an eruption occurs, the most likely location would be the Sundhnúkur row of craters between Stóra-Skógafell and Hagafell. This is the same as the previous explosion. However, it is important to note that magma movement does not always lead to an eruption and does not always occur in the most likely location.
It’s not just Grindavik, the situation is turbulent on the Icelandic peninsula. Dozens of small earthquakes have also occurred west of Fagradalsfjall since December 29. Further analysis of the monitoring data will be carried out soon to get a clearer picture of the situation in Fagradalsfjall.
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