New magma channel possibly forming?
Steep land rise has been detected near Svartsengi and The Blue Lagoon in recent days. mbl.is/Hákon Pálsson
Páll Einarsson, professor emeritus at the Department of Earth Sciences at HÍ, says that a new magma channel is possibly forming in light of the steep land rise in Svartsengi on the Reykjanesskagi peninsula. Einarsson also says that the situation is complicated at present, but in the coming days it might be possible to assess whether the magma in the channel under Grindavík has solidified.
“In the next few days, it may be possible to determine whether the magma tunnel has hardened. The tunnel is not very thick and thin tunnels quickly cloak up. What adds to the ambiguity, however, is that there is a bustling land rise in Svartsengi. A new tunnel might just be in the making. The whole thing is quite complicated and there are many sides to it. As a result, all possibilities need to be kept open so that nothing can surprise people,” he tells Morgunbladid.
Two weeks have passed since a series of earthquakes caused extensive damage in Grindavík. The municipality was evacuated but such events are thankfully not a daily occurrence. On November 10 the largest earthquake hit, with a magnitude of 5.0.
The seismic activity was large for a while, but has decreased greatly as time has passed. It has been revealed that geoscientists from the Icelandic Met Office now believe there is little chance of a sudden eruption within the town limits of Grindavík. The residents of Grindavík have been granted permission by authorities to enter the town in larger cars, up to 3.5 tonnes in total weight. Car trailers will also be allowed in residential areas.
