An earthquake of magnitude 4.7 shook the Bardarbunga volcano just before midnight last night. It's the strongest earthquake measured during the seismic activity in Vatnajokul this last week.
Around 400 earthquakes were measured in the area from midnight until the early morning. The majority northeast of Bardarbunga. Most of them occurr at a depth of 8-12 km but a few are shallower at a depth around 4 km.
Until last night the strongest earthquake measured was of magnitude 4.5 Sunday night. The quake that set off the eruption in Gjalp in 1996 was of size 5.0.
See below for more news in English on the activity in Bardarbunga.
Strongest earthquake yet in Bardarbunga
Tengdar fréttir
Composed music from the Bárðarbunga quakes
"All music is just data, in a way. You can interpret Beethoven's Fifth Symphony as data, which is just notes of variable pitches at variable times. In that way, earthquakes are no different."
Earthquake swarm by Bárðarbunga volcano
At about 3 a.m. this morning (16 August), an earthquake swarm began by Bárðarbunga volcano in NW Vatnajökull ice cap.
Current situation not comparable to Eyjafjallajökull eruption
Ongoing magma movement in Bárðarbunga for the past days have raised questions of possible flight disruptions between Iceland and Europe.
Bardarbunga earthquake reclassified as magnitude 4.5
Seismologists at the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) have reclassified the earthquake close to the Bardarbunga volcano last night.
Mapped the Bárðarbunga quakes in a 3D model
A 24-year old employee of CCP Games has set up a website that shows the seismic activity at Bárðarbunga in a 3D perspective.
Activity in Bárðarbunga volcano
Over the last seven years seismic activity has been gradually increasing in Bardarbunga and the fissure swarm north of the volcano.
Magma flowing into Bárðarbunga caldera with great force
All highland roads north of Vatnajökull glacier have been closed and all traffic banned, whether by vehicle or on foot. The Bárðarbunga situation is now attracting worldwide attention on a scale similar to the Eyjafjallajökull eruption in 2010.
2800 earthquakes in three days
Of these around 950 have occured since midnight today. Several of these events were larger than magnitude 3.
Icelandair stocks shake in quake scare
Icelandair stocks have dropped sharply since Monday morning. Market analysts agree that the situation at Bárðarbunga is a large factor.
Magma surge towards the surface would be very powerful
The current situation at Bárðarbunga is many times more powerful than the one that led to the Gjálpar eruption in 1996.
No signs of receding seismic actvity in Bárðarbunga
Close to 300 earthquakes were recorded there last night, of which two reached over 3 on the Richter scale.
"There is full reason to expect an eruption"
The seismic activity in Bardarbunga on the Vatnajokull glacier is very powerful and therefore full reason to expect a volcanic eruption according to a specialist at The Icelandic Meteorological Office. A live webcam has been placed in the vicinity of Bardarbunga.
