An eruption in the sands a best case scenario
Gunnar Dofri Ólafsson
Setja bókamerki
Volcanologist Ármann Höskuldsson says that the Holuhraun eruption is abating. That, however, does not mean that the seismic and volcanic activity in and around Bárðarbunga is over.
He hopes that when another crater or rift opens up, it will be in the sands, like the one in Holuhraun. An eruption in an area like the one that is going on in Holuhraun is far less hazardous than, say, a sub-glacial eruption.
That still does not mean the eruption in Holuhraun is not a danger to people. The rift spouts out poisonous gases, which have caused trouble in a town some 80 kilometers away from the rift.
No progression to the northeast
Ármann was in the Mývatnssveit area when an mbl.is reporter contacted him, but he will be at the site of the eruption today. Ármann has had to evacuate the area numerous times in the past few days because of high concentrations of poisonous gases.
According to Ármann, the lava field has stopped pushing northeast because of a reduction in the amount of lave coming from the rift.
"The eruption in the Holuhraun craters only has a few more days in it. After that, there will just be another eruption." Ármann compares the amount of magma in the dyke on the one hand, and magna coming from the rift on the other. The dyke is still full of magma, which is likely to want to break out at some point.
No way to tell where another eruption would start
He says there is no way to tell where a second eruption (or a third if you count the small rift that opened up briefly south of Holuhraun) would take place. An eruption in Bárðarbunga, predicted and feared because of its awesome power, is no certainty.
"A second eruption could take place on the plains near Holuhraun. Eruptions happen when magma is forced from the dyke," he says. "And the only way is up. When the pressure has again become too much, a second eruption will start. When that happens, we just have to hope that it will be in the area north of Dyngjujökull. There is plenty of space for lava to freely flow there."
