Volcanic Activity Bárðarbunga

[Passenger]

The Icelandic Meteorological Office kindly asks European aviation to prepare itself for a massive disruption due to an eruption of the Baroarbunga volcano, Iceland’s largest vulcano. Although magma movements have not taken a vertical direction yet (which will cause an eruption), the official Aviation Colour Code has been upgraded to Yellow (on a scale Grey, Green, Yellow, Orange, Red). All other Iceland volcanos remain green.

Press release Icelandic Meteo Service Reykjavik - 16th August 2014:
Seismic activity in Bárðarbunga volcano has increased. A seismic swarm has been ongoing since 03AM this morning, and near continuous earthquakes have been occurring since then. The depths of earthquakes in the present swarm are in the upper crust and their magnitudes are mainly around 1.5; a few earthquakes are of magnitude greater than ML3. Long-term seismic and GPS data indicate that there is increased unrest in the northwestern region of Vatnajökull glacier, where Bárðarbunga is located. Over the last seven years seismic activity has been gradually increasing in Bárðarbunga and the fissure swarm north of the volcano. This activity dropped down at the Grímsvötn eruption in May 2011, but soon after, the activity started to gradually increase again and has now reached similar level of activity to that just before the Grímsvötn eruption. Earlier this year, in the middle of May 2014, there was a small swarm of over 200 events and now the present swarm has already generated at least 300 earthquakes. Since early June 2014, displacements at GPS stations around Vatnajökull (Hamarinn, Grímsfjall, Vonarskarð and Dyngjuháls) show an increased upward movement and away from Bárðarbunga. Together, these two systems indicate magma movements in Bárðarbunga. Due to increased seismicity IMO has decided to turn volcano Bárðarbunga status to yellow on the aviation colour code map (note: see link above). In case of a sub-aerial eruption, an ash plume of potential concerns for aviation will be generated. At 23:00 on August 16, there is no unequivocal indication that magma has reached the surface.

Press release Icelandic Meteo Service Reykjavik - 19th August 2014:
Since the onset of the earthquake swarm at Bárðarbunga on Saturday morning 16th August 03:00am, around 2.600 earthquakes have been detected with the earthquake monitoring network of the Icelandic. Meteorological Office (IMO), of these around 950 since midnight (17/18th August). Several of these events were larger than magnitude 3. The swarm initially started in the Bárðarbunga caldera and has been migrating in two clusters towards the north and the east of the volcano. On Sunday 17th of August, these two clusters were active east and north of Bárðarbunga. The activity in both clusters was migrating northeastwards. While the strongest events were located in the northern cluster, the highest number of events was detected in the eastern cluster. The strongest event since the onset of the swarm was detected on Monday morning 02:37 in the northern cluster. Detailed analysis revealed that its magnitude was 4.5 and it was felt in Akureyri and Lón. By Monday evening, activity has significantly decreased in the northern cluster. The eastern cluster remains active. Two stronger pulses of activity have occurred between 10:45 and 12:00 as well as 16:50 and 17:30 this morning. Within the first pulse around noon, the cluster was again migrating northeastwards, most events are now located between Bárðarbunga and Kverkfjöll. As reported earlier, GPS ground deformation data has evidenced that the earthquake swarm is caused by magma intrusion. Throughout the whole sequence until now (18th August at 20:45) the majority of events has been at 5-10km depth. No signs of migration towards the surface or any other signs of imminent or ongoing volcanic activity have been detected so far. IMO is monitoring the area around the clock very closely and will update in case of any changes.

Links :
Icelandic Meteorological Office – homepage:
http://en.vedur.is/
Icelandic Meteorological Office - Aviation Volcano Map:
http://en.vedur.is/weather/aviation/volcanic-hazards/
Icelandic Meteorological Office – news:
http://en.vedur.is/about-imo/news/

(Baroarbunga (Bárðarbunga) is Eyjafjallajökull’s brother volcano)

[regi]

Wow, that vulcano should know better. The first vulcano that disrupts European air traffic will get a massive claim by the world's most popular/hated/favourite airline.

[Sam V]

Can we expect a repeat of Eyjafjallajökull ?

The Volcano Bárðarbunga is at the Orange Level (1 level under eruption)

ORANGE: Volcano shows heightened or escalating unrest with increased potential of eruption

EASA has issued a safety bulletin

EASA has issued a safety information bulletin advising airlines, air navigation service providers and national aviation authorities of correct procedure in the event that seismic activity reported by Iceland becomes a major volcanic eruption.
In April 2010, Europe was totally unprepared for a volcanic ash cloud that grounded European aviation for a week.
It has since become evident that a fair amount of aviation activity could have continued. However, at the time there was no experience of such an event, no central co-ordination system and no operational guidelines for flying in or close to volcanic ash.
Since then, the European Aviation Crisis Co-ordination Cell has been established. EASA’s bulletin highlights for all parties the necessary communication channels, and access to all available operational advice and regulations.
The bulletin is available on EASA’s website. http://ad.easa.europa.eu/ad/2010-17R6

source: Flightglobal

More info on http://en.vedur.is/about-imo/news/
and http://en.vedur.is/weather/aviation/volcanic-hazards/

[Bralo20]

The current code is since about an hour and a half changed to code RED, currently they only did update the map, I assume a press release will follow quickly:

The map: http://en.vedur.is/weather/aviation/volcanic-hazards/
Big map: http://en.vedur.is/photos/volcanoes/volcano_status.png

The not yet updated written information: http://en.vedur.is/earthquakes-and-volc ... es/nr/2947

[Bralo20]

There are rumours floating around that a (small) erruption has just happened. The webcam on the location is currently not available but can be found here:

http://www.livefromiceland.is/webcams/bardarbunga

[Bralo20]

Updated info:

http://en.vedur.is/earthquakes-and-volc ... es/nr/2947


Code Red has been decleared

[Bralo20]

Small erruption happened, not yet a threat to the ice: http://earthquake-report.com/2013/05/27 ... ed-to-red/

[Bralo20]

The airspace in the near vicinity of the Volcano has been closed, the subglacier erruption is relatively small, they're even still deciding if evacuations are in order.

[Passenger]

Official announcement: "...It is believed that a small subglacial lava-eruption has begun under the Dyngjujökull glacier. The aviation color code for the Bárðarbunga volcano has been changed from orange to red...."

http://en.vedur.is/

[Bralo20]

The webcam is back up and shows an extra amount of steam compared to the starting of the event about an hour and a half ago:

[sn26567]

Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium flight HQ6393 KEF-BRU could still depart from Reykjavik yesterday, despite the RED alert. (And of course the incoming flight HQ6392 BRU-KEF could land without problems!)

[sn26567]

According to Eurocontrol, Bárðarbunga (how do you pronounce this?) remains active with more earthquakes overnight but no reports yet of any ash.

[AF036]

According to Eurocontrol, Bárðarbunga (how do you pronounce this?) remains active with more earthquakes overnight but no reports yet of any ash.

I think here is the answer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=413V0bmjvBg

Cheers

[Passenger]

Code red has been reduced to code orange.

[mad_fab]

Euruption started.

A small sub-glacial volcanic eruption has started near Bardarbunga volcano, under the icecap of Dyngjujökull glacier in the northern part of Vatnajökull glacier, according to the Icelandic Met Office. All air traffic is now prohibited in a large radius around the volcano.

http://www.ruv.is/frett/small-eruption-near-bardarbunga

[AirOpinion]

Euruption started.

A small sub-glacial volcanic eruption has started near Bardarbunga volcano, under the icecap of Dyngjujökull glacier in the northern part of Vatnajökull glacier, according to the Icelandic Met Office. All air traffic is now prohibited in a large radius around the volcano.

Outdated news, check date!

[Comet]

Airspace round the volcano has now reopened after threat was downgraded from red back to orange.

[sn26567]

Why all that fuss about a possible eruption in Iceland when for example the Etna is threatening quite more often?

Envoyé de mon GT-I9100 en utilisant Tapatalk

[Comet]

Why all that fuss about a possible eruption in Iceland when for example the Etna is threatening quite more often?

Envoyé de mon GT-I9100 en utilisant Tapatalk

I think it's because of what happened with Eyjafjallajokull in 2010. The British media are going overboard with scaremongering stories saying airspace is going to be shut down and people will have their travel plans ruined and people will be stranded abroad, that was last week as soon as code orange was announced. I don't want to read scaremongering stories, I want to read reports from experts on this matter.

[Comet]

This was last week http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/501146 ... on-warning with the headline "Another Icelandic ash cloud heading our way...holidays could be ruined by volcano eruption". There was no ash cloud heading our way because there had been no eruption at that time.