News in English

No obvious signs of volcanic eruption

During three hours of aerial surveillance, there were no obvious signs of volcanic activity.

Sub-glacial volcanic eruption under Dyngjujökull glacier

A small sub-glacial volcanic eruption has now started under the icecap of Dyngjujökull glacier in the Northern part of Vatnajökull glacier. There is no visible eruption cloud and the eruption could remain sub-glacial.

No-Fly Zone

A large part of southeastern Iceland is a no-fly zone due to the eruption in Dyngjujökull glacier. The decision about the no-fly zone is re-estimated every two hours.

International air traffic not affected

International flights still operate to and from Keflavik International Airport, in spite of the eruption in Dyngjujökull glacier, near Bárðarbunga, which started earlier today.

An eruption in Dyngjujökull glacier

Scientists at the Icelandic Met Office believe that a small sub-glacial volcanic eruption has now started under the icecap of Dyngjujökull glacier in the Northern part of Vatnajökull glacier

Chances of eruption increase as seismic activity drags on

Scientists differ on how to interpret several large quakes from Thursday that originated in the center of the Bárðarbunga caldera.

Strongest earthquake yet in Bardarbunga

An earthquake of magnitude 4.7 shook the Bardarbunga volcano just before midnight last night.

No signs of receding seismic actvity in Bárðarbunga

Close to 300 earthquakes were recorded there last night, of which two reached over 3 on the Richter scale.

Magma surge towards the surface would be very powerful

The current situation at Bárðarbunga is many times more powerful than the one that led to the Gjálpar eruption in 1996.

Composed music from the Bárðarbunga quakes

"All music is just data, in a way. You can interpret Beethoven's Fifth Symphony as data, which is just notes of variable pitches at variable times. In that way, earthquakes are no different."

Magma flowing into Bárðarbunga caldera with great force

All highland roads north of Vatnajökull glacier have been closed and all traffic banned, whether by vehicle or on foot. The Bárðarbunga situation is now attracting worldwide attention on a scale similar to the Eyjafjallajökull eruption in 2010.

Icelandair stocks shake in quake scare

Icelandair stocks have dropped sharply since Monday morning. Market analysts agree that the situation at Bárðarbunga is a large factor.

Mapped the Bárðarbunga quakes in a 3D model

A 24-year old employee of CCP Games has set up a website that shows the seismic activity at Bárðarbunga in a 3D perspective.

Current situation not comparable to Eyjafjallajökull eruption

Ongoing magma movement in Bárðarbunga for the past days have raised questions of possible flight disruptions between Iceland and Europe.

2800 earthquakes in three days

Of these around 950 have occured since midnight today. Several of these events were larger than magnitude 3.

Bardarbunga earthquake reclassified as magnitude 4.5

Seismologists at the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) have reclassified the earthquake close to the Bardarbunga volcano last night.

"There is full reason to expect an eruption"

The seismic activity in Bardarbunga on the Vatnajokull glacier is very powerful and therefore full reason to expect a volcanic eruption according to a specialist at The Icelandic Meteorological Office. A live webcam has been placed in the vicinity of Bardarbunga.

Activity in Bárðarbunga volcano

Over the last seven years seismic activity has been gradually increasing in Bardarbunga and the fissure swarm north of the volcano.

Earthquake swarm by Bárðarbunga volcano

At about 3 a.m. this morning (16 August), an earthquake swarm began by Bárðarbunga volcano in NW Vatnajökull ice cap.

Nine people indicted in the biggest case of its kind

Nine people have been indicted by the Special Prosecutor for their involvement in a general market manipulation by Kaupthing Bank with its own shares.

Another volcanic eruption in Iceland possible - this time it's Katla

A small eruption seems to be under way in the Katla volcano in the Mýrdalsjökull glacier in Iceland. A glacial flood has gone over the Ringroad, the main higway around Iceland and torn away a 128 metre long bridge over Múlahvísl river. Tourists in the area are being evacuated, from Álftaver and the Þakgil campsite.

The Grimsvotn eruption seems to be over

The eruption in Grimsvotn seems to be all but over. Eyewitnesses who ventured close to the crater reported this morning that the activity is almost noneexistent. Scientists are on their way in an airplane to assess the situation but as it stands it seems like the volcano has stopped spewing ash into the atmosphere.

A twister made of volcanic ash!

A strange sight met a captain of an amphibious vehicle used to sail on the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon in Iceland on his way from work yesterday. A large twister, that seemed to be made of volcanic ash, was in the middle of the road. „I just stopped the car, otherwise I would have driven right into it and I didn't want to take that chance,“ says Runolfur Hauksson. Twisters of this kind are rare in Iceland, though not unheard of.

The eruption in Grimsvotn seems to be dwindling

The eruption in Grimsvotn has steadily grown smaller since yesterday. The volcanic column currently reaches an altitude of three to five kilometres, and the output of ash is considerably smaller. There are still very strong northerly winds in the area blowing the ash to the south. The winds will go down later today, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office.

The No-Fly zone criticized by scientists

After ash from the eruption in Grimsvotn halted all air traffic through Icelandic airports last Sunday some people have demanded that the risk assessment be changed. As of now the Icelandic civil aviation authorities, Isavia, use the ash dispersion forecasts from the Volcanic Advisory Centre (VAAC), made by the British Met Office.

Grimsvotn eruption unlikely to trigger a big flood

A big flood resulting from the eruption in Grimsvotn is not expected in the near future. There was a flood from Grimsvotn in the Skafta river last year, so little water has accumulated there, and the icecap over the caldera was thin. Therefore, less ice has melted and less water has been added to the subglacial lake.

The fifth eruptin in Grímsvötn since 1983

Grímsvötn is a basaltic volcano, located near the centre of the Vatnajökull ice cap, the largest ice cap in Europe. It is the most active volcano in Iceland. There have been approx. 70 eruptions in the Grímsvötn volcanic system in historical times. This is the fifth eruption since 1983, the last eruptions through glacier occurred in 2004, 1998, 1996, 1983 and 1934. These eruptions occurred in the Grímsvötn depression with the exception of the eruption in 1996 known as Gjálp.

Everything at a standstill due to the ash storm

Since Sunday, daily life in the Skaftarhreppur district has come to a standstill because of an enormous ash storm turning day into the blackest of night. There was a heavy storm in the area last night, with roofing sheets and loose material being blown away. There are no reports of accidents to people but some domestic animals have perished in the ash fall from the Grimsvotn volcano.

A major eruption in Grimsvotn - bigger than Eyjafjallajokull

The eruption that started in Grimsvotn under the Vatnajokull glacier last Saturday evening is categorized as a major eruption at this very active eruption site. It is many times bigger than the last eruption in Grimsvotn or the eruption in Eyjafjallajokull last year.

Unemployment on the Rise