Thursday, Aug 23, 2012

As can be seen from our new plots of recent nearby quakes, the number of earthquakes near Katla appears to have been gradually increasing during August. However, most quakes are very shallow and probably NOT caused by magmatic movements, but adjustments of the shallow hydrothermal system. A possibility is that this is a seasonal pattern caused by the warming and increased melting of ice during summer. ... [more]

Friday, Aug 17, 2012

A small swarm of quakes has been going on at Katla since yesterday. So far, 10 quakes have occurred today, including a M2.8 quake at 1.8 km depth 6.8 km E of Goðabunga. [more]

Friday, Jun 22, 2012

Another seismic swarm has occurred at Katla volcano yesterday. About 30 small quakes at shallow depths mostly between 1 and 6 km in the central part of the caldera were recorded and could indicate another intrusion or changes in the hydrothermal system. [more]

Saturday, Jun 09, 2012

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Thursday, Jun 07, 2012

A new swarm of earthquakes has started Tuesday (5 June) evening at Katla volcano. Until now, 34 quakes up to magnitude 2 have been recorded beneath the volcano, at mostly shallow depths around 3-7 km. The quakes are clustered in the SE part of the caldera, and could indicate that a magmatic intrusion is taking place in this area. Whether this is a precursor to a possible eruption of the volcano remains speculation. [more]

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

A swarm of 14 small to very small mostly very shallow quakes occurred at Katla volcano yesterday and today. Epicenter depths were reported between 0.1 and 12.2 km. Judging from the depth and magnitude of the quakes, the most likely cause for the seismic swarm are adjustments of the hydrothermal system under the icecap, and probably not magmatic intrusions (which would be possible indicators of a future new eruption). ... [more]

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Katla volcano continues to show signs of increased unrest. A small glacial flood occurred from under the volcano's icecap Katla around 28 April 2012 and possibly again around 7-8 May, both times accompanied by increased levels of harmonic tremor. This suggests that magma movements inside the volcano might be heating up the ground, causing increased melting. ... [more]

Friday, Feb 24, 2012

Jón Frímann on his dedicated blog about Icelandic (and not only) volcanoes closely follows what is happening there: a cluster of minor earthquakes has been showing up under the Katla volcano caldera. This has been following a gradual increase in seismic activity under Katla during the past few weeks. It could be a signal of new volcanic activity to be expected on a timescale of few weeks to months. A new eruption would probably be heralded by a strong seismic swarm, and could start and build up rapidly. It did so in July 2011 when a sudden increase in earthquake activity occurred and there was an small eruption without warning. [more]

Monday, Feb 20, 2012

Volcanic tremor (a low frequency vibration often caused by magma rising to the surface) has been observed under Katla volcano in southern Iceland, Jón Frímann reports on his Iceland volcanoes blog (see below), closely following seismic activity in Iceland recorded both by national instruments and his own private geophone network. ... [more]

Thursday, Feb 16, 2012

Two of Iceland's most known and active volcanoes are showing signs of unrest. Another seismic swarm (after the last one around 3 Feb) occurred at Katla volcano yesterday, although it was weaker than the previous ones. Most likely, the swarm was caused by another shallow dike injection (magma intrusion) beneath the crater, confirming the ongoing unrest at the volcano. ... [more]

Sunday, Feb 05, 2012

Small seismic swarms have occurred near Katla volcano (S Iceland), Henggil volcano (SW Iceland) and a weaker swarm near Askja (N-Central Iceland) during the past 48 hours. The cause of the swarms is unclear and their intensity is not alarming. They are not necessarily volcanic, but could related to tectonic stress release around the main Icelandic rift zones. [more]

Monday, Jan 30, 2012

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Friday, Oct 28, 2011

Signs of unrest beneath Katla, one of Iceland's most active volcanoes continue. A seismic swarm was recorded under the northern part of Katla volcano's caldera beneath the Mýrdalsjökull glacier in southern Iceland over the past 48 hours. 35 quakes of up to 3.2 magnitude, many at shallow depths, occrred mostly in the afternoon of 27 Oct. [more]

Tuesday, Sep 06, 2011

A mew seismic swarm is occurring at Katla volcano, with over 60 small earthquakes of magnitudes of up to 2.6 at 1-8 km depth beneath the caldera since Sunday. It could be a possibility that this swarm is caused by the injection of magma at depth, but could also be due to structural displacements. It is unclear whether the recent signs of unrest at Katla are the precursors of a new eruption in a near to medium future. [more]

Sunday, Jul 10, 2011

A small Small jokulhlaup (glacial flood) has occurred at Katla volcano early on 9 July, possibly due to a (minor phreatic?) eruption under the large icecap covering the volcano. [more]

Saturday, Jul 09, 2011

It is reported that there was a first subglacial eruption at Katla volcano resulting in a lahar. [more]

Sunday, Jan 02, 2011

Katla volcano, hidden under the large Mýrdalsjökull glacier in Southern Iceland, located just east of Eyafjallajökull volcano, is showing signs of unrest. In the past 48 hours, 8 earthquakes have occured under the ice cap, which could be a a sign towards a reawakening of the volcano which last erupted in 1918 and is considered overdue. Katla's eruptions are normally accompanied by large and extremely destructive glacier floods, so-called jökulhlaups. ... [more]