Askja volcano (Central Iceland) activity update: Alert level raised to Yellow

Thu, 9 Sep 2021, 19:57 | BY: MJFLEGEND

Updated InSAR image. Credit: IMO

Deformation data from station OLAC showing the significant deformation. Credit: IMO

IMO has now raised Askja to Yellow status as the rapid deformation of the caldera is continuing and has now reached 7 cm in just six weeks. Rising magma is also only at 2-3 km depth, so the possibility of an eruption in the near-term is increased.

All news about: Askja volcano
Information about: Askja volcano

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Links / Sources:

IMO: news release from the Iceland Met Office

Previous news

Wed, 8 Sep 2021, 06:00

Askja volcano (Iceland) - Smithsonian / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report for 8 September-14 September 2021 (New Activity / Unrest)

On 9 September IMO raised the Aviation Color Code for Askja to Yellow, noting that inflation that began in early August was ongoing and notably rapid. The uplift was centered at the W edge of Oskjuvatn caldera, which rose a total of 7 cm. The data suggested that magma was accumulating at 2-3.5 km depth. ... Read all

Wed, 8 Sep 2021, 05:02

Askja volcano (Iceland): significant ground deformation since August

The image depicts the near-vertical deformation in mm for the period 1-21 August. The InSAR image is obtained from two passages of Sentinel-1 satellite. The red color indicates uplift and the blue corresponds to subsidence (see the scale). The area experiencing the highest inflation is north-west Öskjuvatn. The black triangle indicates the location of the closest GPS station Ólafsgíga (OLAC) (image: IMO)

The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) reported that GPS observations and ground deformation maps from Sentinel-1 satellite data detected that the volcano began to inflate at the beginning of August 2021. The uplift signal is centered on the western edge of Öskjuvatn, close to Ólafsgígar, and corresponds to ~5 cm/month of vertical motion. Geodetic modeling indicates that the source of this inflation is located at a depth of approximately 3 km and corresponds to a volume change of approximately 0.001 km³/month. ... Read all