1. catdynamics
  2. small earthquake in Iceland, no damage reported

small earthquake in Iceland, no damage reported

By catdynamics on May 29, 2009.

magnitude 4.7 earthquake in the southwest of Iceland

in Svartsengi, near the Blue Lagoon,
moderately close to Reykjavík

Svartsengifell is part of a row of volcanic craters on the southwest spur of the Atlantic rift.
The area went through intense series of eruptions about 1,000 years ago, which came to a halt in 1227 - research suggests the eruptions cycle with a periodicity of about 1,000 years, so resumption of eruptions is expected on timescale of 1-3 centuries.



historical eruptions in the southwest of Iceland
from ferlir.is - some awesome pictures of the lava formations at the path above

This makes the the series of small aftershocks potentially interesting.
Last thing Iceland would need now is a resumption of fissure eruptions that close to the capital.



lave field by Svartsengi (click to embiggen)
from NÍ

Tags
Iceland

More like this

X-Volcanoes - Bárðarbunga
Bárðarbunga is arguably the scariest of the 30 or so active volcanoes in Iceland. Extreme volcanoes don't always have extreme eruptions, but they are scary because they have the capability for extreme events, uniquely so. Bárðarbunga - under the ice cap at the top left - from Google maps It is…
Etna Week (Part 1) - Brief Anatomy of an Exceptional Volcano
Etna Week Part 1 Mount Etna - Brief Anatomy of an Exceptional Volcano By guest blogger Dr. Boris Behncke. Italy truly deserves to be called "the Cradle of Volcanology" - not only because it hosts virtually all existing types of volcanoes and volcanic rock compositions, and seven of its volcanoes…
Rockin' on the Reykjanes Ridge, Iceland
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…
The Trip Part V - Iceland
We were planning to head to Europe so when I discovered that the cheapest tickets were being offered by Icelandair, I jumped on it. Why? I have always wanted to visit this mystic land and Icelandair lets you have a free stopover for up to a week. I highly recommend that you do this once - Iceland…

Nice try with the disinformation, buddy. But you can't fool us. We know that this is part of the Icelandic clandestine nuclear weapons program...

Nonsense.
That's the unexplained shaking under the big ice cap in the southEAST...
Wait, I wasn't supposed to tell you that...

Actually the shaking is continuing, and moving, and residents have been cautioned to expect over magnitude 5 shakes and closer to town.

Local geologist insists this is not signature of an eruption, just frscture quakes on the rift - don't know if they say that because the epicenters are deep, or if the waveform is distinct enough the can tell it is not magma flowing.