Iceland
eklemetti | March 31, 2010Superfast entry as I run out the door but ...
The new vent that opened on March 31 at Fimmvörðuhálsi in Iceland. The old vent is to the right in the image and new to the left. Image captured at 5:45PM EDT.
A second fissure has opened at the Fimmvörðuhálsi eruption in Iceland. Check out the webcam and you can clearly see a new set of vents (Icelandic - try Google Translate) on the left hand side of the image - and that wasn't there earlier today. You can see an image of the new vents here.
Thank you to all the Eruptions readers who have been keeping us posted!
eklemetti | March 29, 2010Busy busy today, so just a brief update on the ongoing Fimmvörðuháls/Eyjafjallajokull eruption in Iceland.
The coalesced vent of the Fimmvörðuháls fissure eruption in late March 2010.
The eruption is still going, albeit potentially with a little less vigor than before - and you can watch it on the Vodafone webcam, along with these other webcams from Mila.is. Haraldur Sigurdsson says that the eruption may have peaked (Icelandic) and is ~25% less vigorous than it was a few days ago, but this could change without notice. A fairly significant, long, low scoria cone has formed and lava…
eklemetti | March 26, 2010Alright, I'm actually in Wisconsin right now for a wedding, but this was too cool to pass up ... the folks from the NASA Earth Observatory sent me this image (Natural-color, 10m/pixel) from the Advanced Land Imager aboard EO-1 of the Eyjafjallajokull-Fimmvörduháls eruption, both taken on March 24, 2010.
The Fimmvörduháls eruption in Iceland, taken March 24, 2010. Image courtesy of the NASA Earth Observatory. Click on the image for a larger version.
You can clearly see the flow heading down the drainage to the east, slowly snaking down the snow covered area. I think the steam plume on far…
eklemetti | March 24, 2010I'm still playing catch-up after my week in the desert, so I've seen a lot of articles I've wanted to mention ... but a certain other volcano has taken up a lot of my time. However, I will attempt to make amends for that now.
By the way, would you believe Ubehebe Crater was closed? How do they close a volcano, anyway? However, I did get a great snap of a welded tuff on the road outside of Shoshone, CA.
A strongly welded tuff near Shoshone, CA. The dark interior is remelted volcanic ash/tephra surrounded by less welded pink tuff with abundant pumice clasts. Denison student David Sisak is on…
eklemetti | March 24, 2010
The fissure vent eruption near Eyjafjallajokull in Iceland. Image by Ãorsteinn Gunnarsson, March 22, 2010.
It has been hard to keep up with the flood of news from the Eyjafjallajokull eruption in Iceland. Eruptions readers have done a good job with getting new images, videos and info up as they happen, so you might want to peruse the comments for those sorts of tidbits (along with discussion of what might be happening).
Here is the latest:
The eruption at Fimmvörduháls (considering the eruption is actually occurring between the ice caps) could last weeks to months, which isn't too…
eklemetti | March 22, 2010
The steam-and-ash plume from Eyjafjallajokull in Iceland, March 22, 2010.
Overnight, the Eyjafjallajokull eruption in Iceland added to its oeuvre, producing what is being reported to be a 8-km plume. Images of the plume (above) suggest (to me) that it is very water-rich, so likely this is the expanding(?) fissure interacting with snow, ice or groundwater, producing steam explosions. These explosions have some minor ash component to them, mostly from the shattering of rapidly cooled lava, but are dominated by steam.
The eruption appears to be continuing into its third day unabated. Flights…
eklemetti | March 21, 2010
The fissure vent eruption on Eyjafjallajokull in Iceland on March 21, 2010.
The big news this morning is the eruption that started last night at Eyjafjallajokull in Iceland, producing a 1-km fissure vent. The pictures and videos I've seen so far have been quite impressive, with the classic look of a "curtain of fire", where basaltic lava erupts explosively from a linear array of vents - you can see the geometry in the image from the BBC/AP (above). Especially clear is the dual nature of the eruption, with both the explosive fire fountains and the effusive (passive) lava flows from the root…
catdynamics | March 20, 2010Eyjafjallajökull erupted tonight.
Small so far, we'll see how it develops, first eruption in 187 years.
Eruptions tracked the microquaking leading up to the eruption - fascinating and very long comment conversation and liveblogging of the precursors to the eruption. Tremendous use of blogging.
Farms south of the mountain are being evacuated, they'll see what it is like in the morning.
Should be a jökulhlaup underway (glacial flash flood).
Ashplume is headed north, airports are closed.
EUMETSAT images here
PS: according to ruv.is early sunday morning, the geoscientists driving up to the…
eklemetti | March 20, 2010
A shot from the Hekla webcam showing the glow from the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull that started March 20, 2010.
Quick note, but for those of you who have been following the seismicity at Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland, there is news from Iceland that an eruption has started. I will post more details as I can find them, but so far, evacuations have commenced near the volcano. It sounds like the eruption can be seen coming through the glacier on the volcano, but any real details of the style of volcanism are unknown. This is the first known eruption of Eyjafjallajökull since 1823.
UPDATE 9:40…
catdynamics | March 13, 2010
Ãað mælti mÃn móðir
að mér skildi kaupa
fley og fagrar árar
fara á brott með jeðum
standa upp à stafni
stýra dýrum X-vængi
halda svo til hafnar
höggva mann og annan
Tattúínárdalasaga: aka
The Saga of the People of the Tattooine River Valley
Finally reconstructed from ancient manuscripts and diverse sources.
Making the rounds, h/t anonymous commenter
Totally excellent.
eklemetti | March 12, 2010Leaving for Death Valley tomorrow - I'll be sure to take some pictures of Ubehebe Crater and the volcano at the Mirage. This will likely be the last new post until about a week from now, but look for the Erta'Ale Volcano Profile, maybe a new Mystery Volcano Photo and I'll leave a thread open for any new volcano news.
Colima in Mexico.
Eruptions reader Tim Stone sent me this image from Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi's Twitpic feed - it is a stunner of the caldera on Jebel Marra in Sudan. The only known historical eruption for this volcano was ~2000 BC within the Deriba Caldera, but it has…
catdynamics | March 11, 2010 So... these credit default swap thingies,
they pay out if some credit instrument goes bad, like a bond issue,
and, famously, financial companies buy them as side bets hedges against financial "events", including betting against instruments they are promoting to clients, and deals they have no involvement in at all
and they are not regulated
Soooooo........
countries can play this game also, right?
So, Iceland owes a few $billion or so.
It faces sovereign default in 2011 unless a miracle happens.
CDS spreads right now are about 5-6% for Icelandic bonds, which is huge, yet way too small - 1-…
eklemetti | March 10, 2010Did I mention its a busy week?
The lava lake at Erta'Ale in 2008. Image courtesy of Stromboli Online.
Our Icelandic saga continues, with more earthquakes and more speculation/information on the parts of Eruptions readers. Keep up the discussion - I'll be fascinated to see who turns out to get closest to what actually happens, prediction-wise. The seismicity has quieted somewhat again in the last 12 hours, so we wait eagerly to see what comes next. Remember, Iceland is the land where volcanoes helped change history, so it is always fun to talk Icelandic volcanism.
The NASA Earth Observatory…
eklemetti | March 8, 2010Cleaning up some news ... busy week leading up to a field trip I am helping co-lead to Death Valley next week.
Ubehebe Crater in Death Valley, California
First off, I want to say how amazed I am at the great discussion that went on all weekend about the signs of potential activity in Iceland. It now appears that the earthquakes at Eyjafjallajökull may be waning, however the levels of seismicity have definitely bounced up and down over the last few days. However, the level and depth of the conversation is a testament to all volcanophiles out there. Nice job, folks.
For those of you into…
catdynamics | March 8, 2010Já, maður reddar þessu bara einhvernveginn...
Diplomatic cable form Reykjavik to Washington - Jan. 2010
UK/NL offer to ISK re: Icesave (PDF)
ISK negotiating team report (PDF)
h/t Evil Henry Paulson on Calculated Risk
catdynamics | March 7, 2010As the three remaining readers may have noticed, I've been a bit too busy to blog for a couple of weeks.
But other blogs go on, and right now, over on SciBling "Eruptions" there is a fascinating live discussion in the comments on the possibility of an imminent eruption in Eyjafjallajökull.
Increasing signs of activity at Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland
Click to embiggen
From Fosshotel - stay there, it is nice
See also aerial view from snorrason.is
Eyjafjallajökull is a small glacier just west of the medium sized Mýrdallsjökull which hosts the better known volcano Katla.
Eyjafjallajökull has…
eklemetti | March 4, 2010
Eyjafjallajökull, an ice-capped volcano in Iceland that last erupted in 1823.
We talked a few weeks ago of signs that there were increasing signs that an eruption could occur on Iceland - increased seismicity on the Reykjanes Ridge suggested that magma might be on the move. Now, we have two pieces of evidence that we might see activity at Eyjafjallajökull, on the southern side of the island nation.
First off, there is a focus of seismicity under the area of Eyjafjallajökull, with an especially large bump in the last 2 days. Both the number and magnitude of the seismicity has been marching…
eklemetti | February 18, 2010
The Icelandic coast of Reykjanes where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge comes above sea level.
A number of Eruptions readers have noticed that seismicity along the Reykjanes Ridge that runs to the southwest of Iceland onto the island has increased over the last few days. Sure enough, checking the Icelandic Met Office page on seismicity on the island finds a lot of earthquakes on the southwest peninsula that is the manifestation of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge hitting the hotspot-related Icelandic landmass. The interaction between the Iceland plume and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is complex, with a step in the…
catdynamics | February 5, 2010Newish super trendy band out of Iceland.
Jazzy math music with touch of heavy rock.
Or so I was told.
Album is "Lightbulb Universe"
Eyes of a Cloud Catcher at the Weird Girls Project
Above These City Lights
live - yup, they also rock
You can fan them on facebook
catdynamics | January 5, 2010helvítis fokking fokk!
this is why you should never go with the 2.0 - always wait for 2.1
so, er, funny thing happened...
the Icelandic President vetoed the law passed by Alþingi right at the end of 2009. The one that acceded to all UK and Dutch demands in the IceSave fiasco.
This is a first.
As you know, faithful reader, Iceland, as usual, lead the world last year,
into catastrophic banking crisis this time.
The grossly corrupt, overleveraged, Icelandic banks did a classic domino collapse, triggered in some sense by the Lehman Bros collapse in the US, through a classic bank run, and capped…