Almost six months of volcanic eruption

The scientific advisory board of the Icelandic Civil Protection has published a factsheet on the eruption at Holuhraun. They report that seismic activity in Bárðarbunga continues to diminish although it can still be considered strong and that the rate of subsidence in the Bárðarbunga caldera is now less than 2 cm a day.  No earthquake over the measurement M5.0 has been detected in Bárðarbunga since January 8th.

GPS measurements near Vatnajökull glacier show continuing slow deflation towards Bárðarbunga, indicating a flow of magma from under the volcano. Two earthquakes were detected around Tungnafellsjökul glacier, both smaller than M2.0. About 40 earthquakes were detected around Askja and Herðubreið since last Friday, all of them smaller than M2.0.

The volcanic eruption has now been going on for almost half a year. The lava flow has decreased substantially in Holuhraun and the rate of the subsidence of the Bárðarbunga caldera has also decreased substantially.