Bárðarbunga is shaking
The last earthquake above magnitude 3 occurred on December 19th. Map/Map.is
A magnitude 3.8 earthquake struck Bárðarbunga at around 4:30 yesterday. Increased activity at the volcano in recent months suggests it prepares for an eruption.
Activity at Bárðarbunga has not been higher since 2015 when the largest volcanic eruption in recent centuries took place in Holuhraun. Inflation and earthquakes indicate an active inflow of magma into the Bárðarbunga volcano.
“There is always a certain warning when something like this happens,” says natural disaster expert Böðvar Sveinsson to mbl.is
“But this is not the case in which we set everything in motion,” he adds, as large earthquakes have certainly become common in the area.
Four over five
But activity has increased in recent years.
Four earthquakes of or above magnitude 5 have struck Bárðarbunga this year; one in April, another in September, a third in October, and a fourth in early December. The last earthquake above magnitude 3 occurred on December 19.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office's meters show inflation around the caldera, indicating pressure below the surface.
