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| Iceland Bardarbunga volcano alert | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: 19 Aug 2014, 12:05 AM (177 Views) | |
| skibboy | 19 Aug 2014, 12:05 AM Post #1 |
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18 August 2014 Iceland raises Bardarbunga volcano alert to orange ![]() Seismic activity has been detected at Bardarbunga, including a strong earthquake The risk of an eruption at Iceland's Bardarbunga volcano has increased, with signs of "ongoing magma movement", Iceland's meteorological office says. The risk level to the aviation industry has been raised to orange, the second-highest level, the met office said. Any eruption could potentially lead to flooding or an emission of gas, the office added in a statement. The Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted in 2010, producing an ash cloud that severely disrupted European airspace. The Bardarbunga volcanic system is located under the north-west region of Iceland's Vatnajokull glacier. 'Strongest earthquake' "Intense seismic activity" began at the volcano on 16 August, and there was a strong earthquake in the region early on Monday, the met office said. "This is the strongest earthquake measured in the region since 1996. "Presently there are no signs of eruption, but it cannot be excluded that the current activity will result in an explosive subglacial eruption, leading to an outburst flood and ash emission," the met office said, adding that the situation was being monitored. The aviation colour codes are used to indicate the level of risk a volcano poses to air travel. An orange alert indicates that a volcano is showing "escalating unrest with increased potential of eruption", or is erupting without any major volcanic ash emissions. A red alert means that an eruption is "imminent", or is underway with "significant emission of volcanic ash into the atmosphere". The ash cloud produced by the 2010 Eyjafjallajokull eruption led to hundreds of thousands of passengers being affected by flight restrictions. Source:
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| skibboy | 20 Aug 2014, 11:06 PM Post #2 |
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20 August 2014 Iceland evacuates area near Bardarbunga volcano ![]() The area around the volcano has no permanent residents but is popular with tourists and hikers Iceland's authorities have evacuated an area close to the country's Bardarbunga volcano over fears it could erupt. The area, which is more than 300km (190 miles) from the capital Reykjavik, has no permanent residents but sits within a national park popular with tourists. The move came as geologists said about 300 earthquakes had been detected in the area since midnight on Tuesday. Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted in 2010, producing an ash cloud that severely disrupted air travel. The national civil protection agency said the decision to evacuate more than 300 people close to Bardarbunga was a "precautionary" safety measure. "It cannot be ruled out that the seismic activity in Bardarbunga could lead to a volcanic eruption," it added. On Monday, Iceland's meteorological office raised its assessment of the risk level to the aviation industry from yellow to orange. The orange alert, the fourth level on a five-grade scale, indicates that a volcano is showing "escalating unrest with increased potential of eruption". The Bardarbunga volcanic system is located under the north-west region of Iceland's Vatnajokull glacier. Authorities say any eruption in the volcano, which sits under an ice cap, could result in flooding of the area north of the glacier. The volcano was said to be stable on Wednesday but scientists warned that it is big enough to disrupt air traffic over the Atlantic if an eruption does occur. The Eyjafjallajokull eruption in April 2010 caused the largest closure of European airspace since World War Two, with losses estimated at between 1.5bn and 2.5bn euros (£1.3-2.2bn). Criticism following the strictly enforced shutdown resulted in the UK's Civil Aviation Authority relaxing its rules to allow planes to fly in areas with a low density of volcanic ash. Source:
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| skibboy | 23 Aug 2014, 10:58 PM Post #3 |
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23 August 2014 Iceland volcano: Eruption under ice-cap sparks red alert Iceland has issued a red alert to aviation after indications that a volcano has erupted under the country's biggest glacier, the Vattnajokull. The Icelandic Met Office warned that a small eruption had begun under the Dyngjujokull ice cap. Seismic activity is continuing at the Bardarbunga volcano, about 30km away. Airspace over the site has been closed, but all Icelandic airports currently remain open, authorities say. A Europe-wide alert has also been upgraded. European air safety agency Eurocontrol said it would produce a forecast of likely ash behaviour every six hours. Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted in 2010, producing ash that severely disrupted air travel. The red alert is the highest warning on the country's five-point scale. Flooding threat The Icelandic Met Office said a team of scientists was flying across the region on Saturday afternoon to monitor seismic activity. "The eruption is considered a minor event at this point," police said in a statement. "Because of pressure from the glacier cap, it is uncertain whether the eruption will stay sub-glacial or not." ![]() The eruption of Eyjafjallajokull in April 2010 caused the largest closure of European airspace since World War Two Virgin Atlantic said it had rerouted a flight from London to San Francisco away from the volcano as a precautionary measure. It said its other flights "continue to operate as normal". British Airways said it was keeping the situation "under close observation", but that its flights were continuing to operate normally for now. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said there would be no impact on flights unless there was an actual eruption. Bardarbunga and Dyngjujokull are part of a large volcano system hidden beneath the 500-metre (0.31-mile) thick Vatnajokull glacier in central Iceland. Authorities have previously warned that any eruption could result in flooding north of the glacier. On Wednesday, authorities evacuated several hundred people from the area over fears of an eruption. The region, located more than 300km (190 miles) from the capital Reykjavik, has no permanent residents but sits within a national park popular with tourists. The move came after geologists reported that about 300 earthquakes had been detected in the area since midnight on Tuesday. The Eyjafjallajokull eruption in April 2010 caused the largest closure of European airspace since World War Two, with losses estimated at between 1.5bn and 2.5bn euros (£1.3-2.2bn). Criticism following the strictly enforced shutdown resulted in the CAA relaxing its rules to allow planes to fly in areas with a low density of volcanic ash. Source:
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| skibboy | 24 Aug 2014, 11:56 PM Post #4 |
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24 August 2014 Iceland volcano: Aviation risk level from Bardarbunga lowered Iceland has lowered the warning level to aviation from the Bardarbunga volcano from "red" to "orange", its second-highest level. However, the Icelandic Met Office said there were "no indications that [seismic] activity is slowing down" and added "an eruption cannot be excluded". Earlier, two earthquakes shook the area around Bardarbunga. Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted in 2010, producing ash that disrupted air travel across Europe. Seismic activity began in the area on Tuesday. Iceland's Met Office said it recorded earthquakes of magnitude 5.3 and 5 in the early hours of Sunday morning. They were the strongest earthquakes to hit Bardardunga since 1996. Airspace over the site has been closed, but all Icelandic airports currently remain open, authorities say. Authorities said on Saturday that a small eruption had taken place under the Dyngjujokull ice cap but that there no signs that gases or ashes had broken through the ice. Geologists reported that about 300 earthquakes had been detected in the area since midnight on Tuesday. The Eyjafjallajokull eruption in April 2010 caused the largest closure of European airspace since World War Two, with losses estimated at between 1.5bn and 2.5bn euros (£1.3-2.2bn). Criticism following the strictly enforced shutdown resulted in the UK Civil Aviation Authority relaxing its rules to allow planes to fly in areas with a low density of volcanic ash. Bardarbunga and Dyngjujokull are part of a large volcano system hidden beneath the 500m-thick (1,600ft) Vatnajokull glacier in central Iceland. The region, located more than 300km (190 miles) from the capital Reykjavik, has no permanent residents but sits within a national park popular with tourists. Authorities have previously warned that any eruption could result in flooding north of the glacier. Source:
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| skibboy | 26 Aug 2014, 11:09 PM Post #5 |
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26 August 2014 Iceland volcano: Bardarbunga hit by 5.7 earthquake ![]() Local authorities have closed roads leading to the area and evacuated several hundred people Iceland's Bardarbunga volcano was hit by a magnitude 5.7 earthquake on Tuesday morning, the largest since tremors began in the area last week. The country's Met Office said despite the shock - the fourth magnitude five quake in 48 hours - there is still no sign of a volcanic eruption. On Sunday, Iceland lowered the aviation risk to its second highest level. Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted in 2010, producing ash that disrupted air travel across Europe. Bardarbunga is in a different range to Eyjafjallajokull, but the intense seismic activity has raised fears that an eruption could cause similar travel chaos. ![]() No surface movement "There was one event during the night. It was a magnitude 5.7 [earthquake], the largest in this series," Palni Erlendsson, a geologist at Iceland's Met Office told Reuters news agency. The activity was still deep below ground, Mr Erlendsson said, adding there had been no signs of movement close to the surface. "We still can't say whether [the activity] will cease, continue like this for a while or erupt. It's impossible to say," he said. ![]() The Vatnajokull glacier sits on top of the volcanic range. There are fears an eruption could cause flooding The magnitude five earthquakes are the strongest to hit the Bardarbunga region since 1996. The Met Office said the latest large tremor occurred at 01:26 GMT to the north of Bardarbunga, 6km (3.7 miles) below the surface, near the rim of Dyngjujokull, another nearby volcano. Bardarbunga and Dyngjujokull are part of a large volcano system hidden beneath the 500m-thick (1,600ft) Vatnajokull glacier in central Iceland. The region, more than 300km (190 miles) from the capital Reykjavik, has no permanent residents but sits within a national park popular with tourists. Several hundred people have been evacuated from the area. Authorities have previously warned that any eruption could result in flooding north of the glacier. But experts said the activity was migrating north, with the tip of the movement already 10km (6 miles) outside the glacier. Scientists believe the earthquakes are a result of magma flowing out from beneath the volcano, causing a change in pressure. This movement could stop, reducing the seismic activity, or the magma could reach the surface and lead to an eruption. On Sunday, Iceland lowered its level of alert to the aviation industry from red, warning of an imminent eruption, to its second-highest level, orange. Airspace over the site has been closed, but all Icelandic airports currently remain open, authorities say. The Eyjafjallajokull eruption in April 2010 caused the largest closure of European airspace since World War Two, with losses estimated at between 1.5bn and 2.5bn euros (£1.3bn-2.2bn). Source:
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| skibboy | 26 Aug 2014, 11:27 PM Post #6 |
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26 August 2014 Iceland volcano: Magma moving towards new volcanic system By Rebecca Morelle Science Correspondent, BBC News ![]() The University of Cambridge is monitoring the area with 70 seismometers The magma from Iceland's Bardarbunga volcano could be moving towards another large volcanic system. Data recorded by a team from the University of Cambridge suggests that 50 million cubic metres of molten rock has moved in the last 24 hours. If it continues on a northern trajectory it could feed into the Askja volcanic system, potentially triggering a large eruption. Prof Bob White said: "It's headed straight for it." But he cautioned that volcanoes were hard to predict. "It's moving at about 4km a day towards Askja, and if it keeps going it will get there in a few days," he told BBC News. "We know there is a lot of molten rock sitting under the ground beneath Askja, which is a major volcanic system. If this molten rock hits that, we know it is likely to trigger it to erupt. "But who knows, it may just stop. It is still at 5km-depth, and it is possible it could freeze there and not a lot more will happen. That is perfectly plausible." ![]() The coloured dots shows how the earthquakes have been travelling north over the last 10 days The Cambridge seismology group has been monitoring volcanoes in the area since 2006 with more than 70 seismometers. Over the last 10 days, they have detected large numbers of earthquakes, which have been moving north over a distance of about 40km. They are caused as magma flows beneath the ground, cracking the rocks as it moves. On Tuesday morning the Bardarbunga volcano was hit by a magnitude 5.7 earthquake, the largest since tremors began in the area last week. The team estimates that about 350 million cubic metres of magma have moved in this period, which is about twice the amount of molten rock that was blasted into the air during Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull eruption in 2010. Prof Simon Redfern, an earth scientist from the University of Cambridge, said: "It is a huge amount of magma, creating an enormous subterranean channel of molten rock." He said that the dyke - the underground "plumbing system" that carries the molten rock - could join up with other underground fissures, creating a large network of magma. Prof White added that several scenarios were possible. "One is that it erupts under the glacier," he said. "That is bad news because this kind of eruption can drive the big ash clouds that can go up 35,000-40,000ft, and that is what happened in 2010 with Eyjafjallajokull." ![]() The ash cloud from the Eyjafjallajokull eruption in 2010 created a major disruption for air travel However that scenario is looking less likely because the magma is moving beyond the thick ice of the glacier into shallower terrain beyond. If it erupts in this region, with less ice-cover, it could create "fire-fountains" - spectacular plumes of lava, which can be dangerous, but carry less ash. Prof White said: "The third scenario is that it keeps going north, it keeps feeding molten rock and it hits the Askja system and triggers that - then goodness knows what will happen. It could make a lot of disruptive ash all over Iceland." The last time that the Askja volcano had a major eruption was in 1875. The ash-fall caused crops to fail and killed livestock, triggering a wave of migration away from the north east of Iceland. 'Curtain of fire' Commenting on the team's findings Prof David Rothery, from the Open University, said that while the magma could head for Askja, it may also change its route. "Magma could be heading along a dyke towards Askja, which last erupted in 1961, or it might bypass it and be injected northwards along a fissure that passes to the east of Askja, where there have been several earthquakes in the past week," he told BBC News. "In neither case is an eruption inevitable. Many dykes never reach the surface. "An eruption along a dyke could be a spectacular affair, beginning as a 'curtain of fire' feeding an expanding lava field. That sort of eruption is most unlikely to produce a column of fine ash that would get high enough to be a hazard to more than a local aviation. "I would anticipate a bigger problem if an eruption of stored, gas-rich magma were to begin at Bardarbunga itself, but even that would cause major disruption to air travel only if it was powerful enough to reach about 20 km high and if the wind carried the ash southeast over the UK and mainland Europe." On Saturday, Iceland raised its level of alert to the aviation industry to red, warning of an imminent eruption, but then lowered it on Sunday to its second-highest level, orange. Airspace over the site has been closed, but all Icelandic airports currently remain open, authorities say. The Eyjafjallajokull eruption in April 2010 caused the largest closure of European airspace since World War Two, with losses estimated at between 1.5bn and 2.5bn euros (£1.3bn-2.2bn). However since the eruption, the Civil Aviation Authority has relaxed its rules to allow planes to fly in areas with a low density of volcanic ash. Source:
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| skibboy | 28 Aug 2014, 11:00 PM Post #7 |
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28 August 2014 Iceland examines Bardarbunga volcano 'cauldrons' Scientists in Iceland say they are examining several 'cauldrons' found near Bardarbunga volcano, which could potentially be a sign of an eruption. The cauldrons, depressions in the volcano's surface, each between 10-15m (49 ft) deep and 1km (0.6 miles) wide, were seen during a flight on Wednesday. Iceland's Met Office said they were formed "as a result of melting, possibly a sub-glacial eruption." Bardarbunga volcano has been hit by several recent tremors. The area experienced a magnitude 5.7 earthquake on Tuesday. Experts say these earthquakes are caused as magma flows beneath the ground, cracking the rocks as it moves. The Met Office has kept its aviation warning level - indicating the potential threat of volcanic activity to air travel - at orange, its second-highest. 'Sinkholes formed' Scientists discovered the new cauldrons south of the Bardarbunga volcano during a surveillance flight over the Vatnajokull ice cap - Europe's largest - on Wednesday night, the Met Office and Civil Protection Department said. It is not clear when they were formed, and the data is still being examined, they said. They added that they had not observed increased tremors in the area so far. Meanwhile, the University of Iceland tweeted: "New fractures and sinkholes seen on #Bardarbunga during surveillance flight tonight. Data currently being evaluated by our geologists & IMO [Icelandic Met Office]". ![]() Scientists have been monitoring tremors near the volcano However it cautioned that the sighting was limited by poor visibility, and said more information would be available after a second surveillance flight on Thursday morning. Flooding risk Bardarbunga is part of a large volcano system hidden beneath the 500m-thick (1,600ft) Vatnajokull ice cap in central Iceland. The authorities said on Saturday that a small eruption had taken place under the Dyngjujokull glacier, but that there were no signs that gases or ash had broken through the ice. The region, located more than 300km (190 miles) from the capital Reykjavik, has no permanent residents but sits within a national park popular with tourists. Officials have previously warned that any eruption could result in flooding north of the glacier. Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted in 2010, producing ash that disrupted air travel across Europe. Source:
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| skibboy | 29 Aug 2014, 11:39 PM Post #8 |
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29 August 2014 Iceland's volcano ash alert lifted An eruption near Iceland's Bardarbunga volcano that briefly threatened flights has ended, local officials say. The fissure eruption at the Holuhraun lava field north of the Vatnajokull glacier stopped at 04:00 GMT on Friday. Before lifting air travel curbs, the Icelandic Met Office (IMO) lowered its aviation warning from red to orange - the second-highest level. Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted in 2010, producing ash that disrupted air travel across Europe. The IMO said the eruption had started just after 00:00 GMT on Friday and lasted about four hours. The fissure eruption took place between Dyngjujokull Glacier and the Askja caldera, according to a statement from the Department of Civil Protection. ![]() ![]() No ash has been detected in the eruption but steam has been rising from the volcano ![]() Officials say all airports are functioning normally Earlier, Bjorn Oddsson, a geophysicist from Iceland's Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management, said the eruption had not affected air travel. "It's mostly effusive; there's no ash in the air, and not even in the vicinity," he said. "So mostly lava is pouring out of the craters right now and the only flight restriction is over the area. All airports are open, and things are quite in control." BBC transport correspondent Richard Westcott says that even if a big cloud of volcanic ash were emitted, it would not cause the same level of disruption to flights that brought Europe to a halt in 2010. He says new equipment that airliners and engine makers have been testing would allow planes to identity and fly around ash clouds. Source:
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| jessie | 31 Aug 2014, 02:11 PM Post #9 |
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Administrator
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Iceland has raised its aviation warning level after a fresh eruption from a fissure near the Bardarbunga volcano. |
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| skibboy | 31 Aug 2014, 10:55 PM Post #10 |
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31 August 2014 Iceland issues new Bardarbunga volcano alert Iceland on Sunday issued an aviation alert after a fresh lava eruption from a fissure near the Bardarbunga volcano, but the warning was later lowered. Iceland's Met Office said there had been "a very calm lava eruption... hardly seen on seismometers". Planes were banned from flying within 6,000 ft of the volcano peak until the red alert changed to orange. Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted in 2010, producing ash that disrupted air travel across Europe. Sunday's eruption in the Holuhraun lava field area was "calm but continuous", authorities said. It happened in roughly the same place as an earlier eruption on Friday morning, and is the third to happen in the area in the last week. The latest eruption was more intense than Friday's with around 10 times more lava said Armann Hoskuldssonk, a geologist from the University of Iceland. But the Met Office later said: "No ash has been detected. The Aviation Colour Code for Bardarbunga has therefore been reset to orange." BBC transport correspondent Richard Westcott says that even if a big cloud of volcanic ash were emitted, it would not cause the same level of disruption to flights that brought Europe to a halt in 2010. He says new equipment that airliners and engine makers have been testing would allow planes to identity and fly around ash clouds. ![]() All airports in Iceland are still functioning normally ![]() Source:
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