A second eruption cannot be ruled out
The Holuhraun eruption might be dwarfed by an even bigger Bárðarbunga eruption. mbl.is/Árni Sæberg
Volcanologist Ingi Þorleifur Bjarnason has expressed to The Civil Protection that precautions should be made in the possible scenario of an eruption at Bárðarbunga.
"Due to a lack of deeper understanding of the average measurements of earthquakes in Bárðarbunga I think people should be careful to declare that there isn't a slightest possibility of an eruption at Bárðarbunga," explains Bjarnason to Morgunblaðið today. The other possibilities are that the eruption at Holuhraun will continue or that a fissure underneath the glacier will start erupting. "I have expressed my opinion to The Civil Protection to put emphasis on reactions to a possible eruption at Bárðarbunga, an eruption which could cause the most damage."
According to the Scientific Advisory Board of the Icelandic Civil Protection the total depression of the caldera is 50 meters (164 ft.) and the total volume of the depression about 1,4 cubic kilometre (0.334 cubic miles) since the seismic activity started in mid-August.
This is the largest subsidence that has been measured in modern times at a caldera in Iceland.
The last 24 hours two earthquakes, more than M5.0 have been detected at Bárðarbunga. The first, M5.2 at 12:52 occurred in the southeastern part of the caldera rim and the second, M5.4 at 02:18 in the northeastern part of the rim. Some earthquakes between 4 and 5 have also been detected. Ca 70 earthquakes (30 more than at the same time yesterday) have occurred at Bárðarbunga the last 24 hours. Few small earthquakes have been detected in the dyke intrusion.
View to the eruption site has been good through webcams this morning and no changes have been observed.
