The Bardarbunga volcano in Iceland has increased chances for eruption, following an intense seismic activity beginning on Aug. 16 that persists until now, the Icelandic Meteorological Office revealed Monday.
The agency reported of GPS measurements corroborating the extremely strong warnings of continuing magma movement connected with dyke intrusion.
It also disclosed of two swarms—one to the East of Bardarbunga caldera and the other one at Dyngjujökull’s edge just East of Kistufell.
“At 2.37 am on the 18th a strong earthquake (M4) was located in the Kistufell swarm,” the agency said.
The meteorological office said that the current activity is the strongest quake measured within the region since the year 1996.
“As evidence of magma movement shallower than 10 km implies increased potential of a volcanic eruption, the Bardarbunga aviation color code has been changed to orange,” they added.
Based on the aviation color code map, an orange warning means that the volcano is showing escalating or heightened unrest along with an increased possibility of eruption. Highest color in the map is red that means eruption is impending or in progress with a likely considerable amount of ash emission into the atmosphere.
The color codes are aimed at informing the aviation sector on the status of a volcano. The codes are also in agreement with the recommended procedures of the International Civil Aviation Organization.
“Intense earthquake swarm continues at Barðarbunga. Presently there are no signs of magma moving to the surface,” said Met office.
The meteorological office clarified that while there are no present signs of eruption, it is not discounting the fact that such intense activity will bring about an explosive subglacial eruption that will lead to ash emission and flood outburst.
Signals of a looming eruption will appear possibly several hours before an eruption. The authorities are said to be monitoring the situation closely.
Lorcan Roche Kelly of Agenda Research said it stands under 700 meters of ice, or almost worth half a mile, so the eruption needs to be massive to break through such.
In 2010, the Eyjafjallajokull volcano also in Iceland affected over 10 million air passengers in Europe and interrupting air travel business that amounted to $1.7 billion, based on reports.
Bardarbunga is the second highest mountain of Iceland standing at 6,562 feet or 2,000 meters under the Vatnajokull glacier ice cap in the southwest Iceland.
