Another volcano in Iceland is on an increased alert after an earthquake swarm and ground movement. In addition, the available data shows that magma is accumulating under the volcano, steadily increasing the risk of an eruption in the near future.
But as you will see, there is more than one volcano ready to erupt in Iceland. Moreover, there is a known history of widespread effects on Europe and across the Northern Hemisphere from Icelandic eruptions. For this reason, each event is being monitored closely and taken seriously.
Iceland is a volcanic island in the North Atlantic and one of the most active volcanic regions in the world. In its history, it produced significant eruptions with powerful impacts on Europe, North America, and the entire Northern Hemisphere.
The island experiences constant earthquake activity because it sits on the boundary between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. This boundary is also known as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR).
As the plates move away from each other, they effectively tear the island apart. Iceland is the only place where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge rises above the ocean surface.
[...] But Iceland is always active in some shape or form. Currently, we have new activity on the Reykjanes peninsula, in southwest Iceland, around Mt Thorbjorn.
In mid-May, more than 3000 earthquakes have been automatically detected in the Reykjanes/Svartsengi volcanic system. The most significant event had a magnitude of M4.3 and occurred on May 15th. The seismicity is located at a depth between 4 and 6 km.
Recent deformation observations (both GPS and InSAR) identified the onset of a new inflation event west of Mt Thorbjorn, likely caused by magma intrusion. Preliminary modeling results indicate the source is located at a depth of between 4-5 km.
In the past month, seismographs detected nearly 9000 earthquakes in the area, mostly related to underground volcanic activity.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday June 06 2022, @02:48PM (2 children)
So, in the list of 2020, one can possibly have a famine [wikipedia.org] on top of COVID and Putin cracking crazy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 06 2022, @04:26PM
Don't forget a solution to global warming, a nice global cooling event from volcanic eruption is just what we need!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 06 2022, @07:43PM
Famine's been on the list for the bad news bingo card for a while now.
I think we already have the other horsemen of the apocalypse [wikipedia.org]riding around, so famine will make the full set.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 06 2022, @02:59PM (4 children)
A trip to Iceland has been on my bucket list for a long while, though perhaps I might wait until after this one blows.
Anybody been there as a tourist? How was your trip, and would you go back again?
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 06 2022, @03:23PM
It was great, would go back in a heartbeat!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 06 2022, @04:13PM
>> How was your trip, and would you go back again?
Too many drunken Eskimos singing Bjork songs. Wouldn't go back.
(Score: 4, Informative) by janrinok on Monday June 06 2022, @05:27PM
I was there about 10 years or so ago. Had a really good visit. If you like nature and the outdoors it is breathtaking. If your idea of a holiday is lounging on a beach or enjoying theme parks that perhaps not the best choice to make. It can be expensive if you don't shop around a little. If you got to all the favourite tourist places expect to pay tourist prices.
Yes I would go back!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 06 2022, @05:48PM
No thanks, God hates Iceland [landoverbaptist.net].
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 06 2022, @03:19PM (4 children)
Wasn't a recent eruption dusty enough that commercial aircraft had to fly around the plume?
How convenient for Ukraine if a dust cloud made a no-fly zone over them!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 06 2022, @04:18PM
Someone should open up an ukrainian national volcano
(Score: 2) by HiThere on Monday June 06 2022, @06:03PM
I think military planes tend to ignore no-fly zones. But it might yield substantially greater needs for maintenance, and possibly a few extra crashes.
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 06 2022, @07:49PM
That would be the 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull [wikipedia.org] which grounded air traffic over a lot of Europe.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 07 2022, @01:10AM
In 2010, Eyjafjallajökull erupted [icelandtravel.is] and caused shutdowns of air travel in parts of Europe.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 06 2022, @07:58PM (2 children)
Why not harvest that geothermal energy and sell it to the world? How hard can it be?
(Score: 2) by EvilSS on Monday June 06 2022, @09:31PM (1 child)
(Score: 3, Informative) by Michael on Monday June 06 2022, @11:18PM
In a way they do export quite a bit of it already. Over a third of their exports measured financially are aluminium, which is pretty much solidified electricity.
Using their 99% renewable power to make aluminium is equivalent to exporting the electricity directly, if it displaces power consumption dirtier countries would have used to make the aluminium.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 07 2022, @01:51AM
After all,
MOLTEN CORE!
(Score: 2) by hendrikboom on Tuesday June 07 2022, @01:51AM
-- dragonball Z