The map contains 2021 lava flows as well.
hiking map to eruption site
Update Sat 06 Aug 2022 11:19
Green trail is recommended to get to the site (image: Björgunarsveitin Þorbjörn)
The rescue team Þorbjörn from Grindavík published a new hiking map to get to the eruption site.
The hike may take about 5-6 hours (7 km one way) minimum with an elevation gain of about 300 meters.
Tourists are recommended to get proper hiking equipment including food, headlamp and fully charged phone.
In addition, they are advised not to walk on the old lava as it is still hot and prone to fall through.
Interactive 3D aerial panorama of eruption site
Update Sat 06 Aug 2022 10:53
Screenshot from the website (image: Visit Reykjanes)
On the website of Reykjanesskaga's tourism office, Visit Reykjanes, you can now access a 3D image of the volcanic eruption in Meradölum. There you can see the ongoing "curtain of fire" accompanied by the forming lava flow field from the current eruption.
The 3D image is interactive and you can scroll in and out and look in all directions.
Here is the link: https://kuula.co/share/N8XJm?logo=1&info=1&logosize=180&fs=1&vr=1&zoom=1&autorotate=0.02&thumbs=1&margin=5&alpha=0.65
Magnificent drone video footage
Update Sat 06 Aug 2022 10:38
Bird eye view on the lava and lava fountains (image: Planet/twitter)
A beautiful aerial view of the current eruption site from a drone has been recorded - watch the video from Bjorn Steinbekk below.
Gas pollution forecast is available
Update Sat 06 Aug 2022 10:28
Gas emissions forecast for Sunday (7 Aug) afternoon (image: IMO)
SO2 emissions detected on 4 August (image: ADAM Platform)
The IMO reported that a new gas forecast model has been launched (
link here).
The forecast contains the presence of SO2 and SO4 emissions emitting from the eruption site and prevailing wind direction within the next 48 hours.
It is important to keep in mind that the vicinity of the area is dangerous to health and conditions may change rapidly.
The Norwegian Public Safety Council warns people to stay away from the site due to gas pollution with increased risk when the wind calms down. New fissures may immediately open without any notice.
Source: Icelandic Meteorological Office volcano activity update 6 August 2022Gas emissions threat tourists
Update Thu 04 Aug 2022 15:17
Gas plumes continue to emit at the site (image: IMO)
A gas dispersion forecast has been activated for the current eruption site in Meradalir.
People should be aware of gas pollution near the site and are strongly advised not to approach the eruption that can be harmful to health.
A new network for near real-time gas measuring will be set up tomorrow.
Source: Icelandic Meteorological Office volcano activity update 4 August 2022spatter ramparts and spatter cone along fissure
Update Thu 04 Aug 2022 05:06
Spatter ramparts and the spatter cone at the current eruption site (image: Gisli Olafsson/twitter)
Spatter cone forming around the vent (image: Ben Edwards/twitter)
The effusive eruption has continued throughout the last night.
The continuous "curtain of fire" has been already building elongated steep-sided ridges due to piling up hot, juvenile and plastic lava fragments around the fissure, so-called
spatter ramparts.
The RÚV launched another
live streaming showing the better, full-size fissure view where
a new spatter cone is being observed that has formed above the vent.
The first estimated lava flow rate is about 20-50 m3/second.
The helicopter is flying over the eruptive fissure (source: @salvor/twitter)
new eruption is estimated bigger than previous one
Update Wed 03 Aug 2022 19:28
Halldór Björnsson from the IMO flies over the current eruption site (image: IMO)
Magnús Tumi Guðmundsson, a professor of geophysics, says that the new eruption is likely five-to-ten bigger than the previous eruption, but not the big one.
The new eruption poses no imminent threat to inhabitants and infrastructure as the site is far enough from the closest infrastructure. From the nearby morphology, it seems the lava flow will flow likely into Meradalir valley on the east-southeast or towards the north.
He warns about a gas accumulation as the fissure is in a depression and advises people to be careful.
A larger amount of gas emissions escape from the current site in comparison with the last eruption, says Elín Björk Jónasdóttir from the Icelandic Meteorological Office. A new network for near real-time gas measuring will be installed in the area in the next few days. She adds that the prevailing wind is supposed to change over the weekend.
Source: RÚV volcano activity update 3 August 2022location confirmed + new aerial images
Update Wed 03 Aug 2022 18:49
The current eruption site seen from the sky (image: Kristín Jónsdóttir/twitter)
The new eruptive fissure, a helicopter as a scale (image: Evgenia Ilyinskaya/twitter)
The current eruption site seen from the sky (image: Kristín Jónsdóttir/twitter)
The exact location of the eruption (image: Volcanología Chile/twitter)
Scientists already published the exact location of the new eruption site.
The eruptive fissure is located approx. 3 km north of Langihryggur with an approx. length of 360 meters.
Fountaining continues along the full-length fissure, feeding a new lava flow field that sometimes overlaps (in the south part of the fissure) the lava flow field from the previous eruption.
Eruption continues - watch it live
Update Wed 03 Aug 2022 17:02
The eruption continues at modest intensity (although it is likely to gradually increase), as a typical fissure eruption with lava fountains forming a "curtain of fire" along an approx. 100 m long fissure that opened today at around 1.36 p.m. A sheet-like lava flow is slowly spreading on both sides of the fissure.
You can watch it live via the webcam of mbl.is on Youtube:
new eruption started
Update Wed 03 Aug 2022 14:15
New eruptive fissure accompanied by small lava fountains (image: mbl.is)
A new eruption started.
From available live webcams (
link here), a new eruptive fissure opened at about 13:26 local time today. Pulsating small lava fountains are seen from the fissure.
It seems the fissure is about a few hundred meters long, judging from the webcam imagery.
The eruptive fissure is located within the lava flow field at the same eruption site as the latest eruption in 2021, but the exact location is unknown for now and was not reported yet, however the IMO is ready to send a helicopter to detect a location.
likelihood of new eruption has increased, magma at 1 km depth
Update Tue 02 Aug 2022 20:48
Earthquakes at Reykjanes Peninsula in the last 48 hours (updated 2 Aug 20:30) (image: IMO)
Depth vs. magnitude vs. time during 25 Jul - 2 Aug (image: Volcano Discovery)
A risk of an impending eruption has rapidly increased in the late afternoon today.
According to the IMO, magma injections already reached very shallow level at 1 km depth, supported also by continued deformation of the surface. This suggests that the flux of magma rising within the dike is significant.
A potential eruption is estimated to occur within the upcoming days or weeks.
new InSAR shows estimated location of dike intrusion
Update Tue 02 Aug 2022 14:54
Sentinel-1 interferogram during 20 Jul-1 Aug depicts a new dike intrusion (image: IMO)
The intense seismic activity continues.
A new radar interferogram revealed by the Icelandic Meteorological Office involves a current dike magma intrusion on Reykjanes peninsula between Keilir and Fagradalsfjall with the strongest earthquake so far with magnitude M 5.4 on 31 July.
strong seismic activity continues with no signs of tremor so far
Update Tue 02 Aug 2022 08:54
Earthquakes at Reykjanes Peninsula in the last 48 hours (image: IMO)
Depth vs. magnitude during 25 Jul - 2 Aug (image: Volcano Discovery)
The ongoing intense earthquake swarm increased at 23:00 local time last night.
The IMO network registered another strong earthquake at 02:27 early morning today with magnitude M 5.0 at about 4 km depth located west of the Kleifarvatn lake. It seems that the activity is situated right here.
The quake has been felt widely in southwestern Iceland.
No tremor has been detected yet.
The reported hazard remains in place and poses the increased risk of rockfalls in the area caused by stronger earthquakes. People are advised to avoid steep slopes, cliffs and areas prone to collapse.
Source: Icelandic Meteorological Office volcano activity update 2 August 2022Fagradalsfjall volcano (Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland): volcanic-seismic crisis continues to evolve, earthquake M 5.4 yesterday
Mon, 1 Aug 2022, 07:43
07:43 AM | BY: MARTIN
Earthquakes at Reykjanes Peninsula in the last 48 hours (image: IMO)
The seismic record of the area (image: IMO)
Depth vs. magnitude during 25 Jul - 2 Aug (image: Volcano Discovery)
The seismic activity remains elevated and had been more frequent.
Nearly 3000 earthquakes in total have been detected since the phase began by the Norwegian Meteorological Agency, of which four were recorded with magnitude of 4 and more.
The first earthquakes depths measurements were located at approx. 5-8 km depth, but since 18:00 local time on 30 July have become shallower at depth of about 2-5 km.
At 17:47 local time yesterday, seismic instruments registered the strongest event so far with magnitude
M 5.4 located northeast of Grindavík. Shakes were even visible in the
live stream (see the attached M 5.4 quake video below). The earthquake was widely felt by inhabitants, some minor damages reported.
Magma continues to intrude under the surface and causes voltage changes NE of Grindavík and west of Kleifarvatn lake.
A similar scenario occurred in December last year, but doesn't seem to be powerful enough to trigger an eruption yet.
Source: Icelandic Meteorological Office volcano activity update 1 August 2022 Fagradalsfjall volcano (Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland): intense seismic activity, alert level raised to Yellow
Sat, 30 Jul 2022, 20:46
20:46 PM | BY: MARTIN
Distribution of quakes in Fagradalsfjall volcano area this afternoon (image: IMO)
An intense swarm of earthquakes has been occurring at Reykjanes peninsula, starting at noon today.
A series of earthquakes have been located northeast of Fagradalsfjall, of which the strongest one was measured with magnitude M 4.0 at 14:03 local time.
Earthquakes were located at depths between 5 and 7 km and are arranged in a northeast-southwest trending linear area. Quakes likely reflect magma intrusion shifting under the surface at shallow level.
Therefore, the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) and authorities raised the alert status to "yellow".
The current hazard poses an increased risk of rockfalls in the area caused by stronger earthquakes. People are advised to avoid steep slopes, cliffs and areas prone collapse.
Source: Icelandic Meteorological Office volcano activity update 30 July 2022
