Can be an ongoing event for months
10 days have passed since the last eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula occurred, on February 8 2024. mbl.is/Kristinn Magnússon
According to the Icelandic Met Office’s deformation measurement director, Benedikt Gunnar Ófeigsson, the events on the Reykjanes peninsula are on the same path as before the last eruption and if it continues along the same path, it will be two or three weeks before the next event.
“It’s difficult to determine the location of a possible eruption. “It’s only running around the fissure system, but it’s most likely to occur closer to the center of the fissure system than at the edges,” Ófeigsson says to mbl.is.
Benedikt Gunnar Ófeigsson. mbl.is
The inflation in the Svartsengi area continues and it has reached a very similar speed that was after the last magma runs. “The inflation is like half to one centimeter per day where it is most intense.”
How often can a scenario like this repeat itself?
“It’s presumably dependent on the magma flow below and it’s a question of how long it will last. It seems like the speed is gradually decreasing, but we’re going to have to look at it more closely. But I think it could continue to do so sometime in the spring or summer, and even longer.”
Activity in Eldey has increased after the Reykjanes peninsula events
A considerable seismic activity has been going on at Eldey on the Reykjanes-ridge. When asked about this, Ófeigsson says:
“We’ve just installed a GPS station in Eldey and there’s nothing to see on it. If it’s something to do with magma, it’s not in such quantities that we’re seeing some substantial changes in the terrain,” says Benedikt.
Earthquake location on February 18 at 12:05 GMT Map/Icelandic Met Office
He says that there has been sustained seismic activity in this area for decades.
“However, one never knows when or if something starts there shortly. There has been a lot of activity and in fact, activity at Eldey has increased after the eruption in Mt Fagradalsfjall and the area around Svartsengi went into full operation. So, over the last three years, there has been increased activity at Eldey.”
According to Ófeigsson, there may be tension changes or something like that that is pushing this up and it is not possible to exclude magma, even though there is nothing to suggest this at the moment.
“We’re keeping an eye on this and it was decided this winter to set up a GPS station. I think we can exclude the possibility of a high magma level if it is.”
