Grimsvötn, Iceland's most active volcano, is under surveillance this weekend due to a massive ice flood underway that could trigger an eruption, authorities said.

A brutal natural phenomenon known as "jökulhlaup", this tumultuous flow of water that has been going on for ten days is "very likely" to peak on Sunday, the Icelandic Meteorological Institute said.

The drop in pressure on the volcano caused by the flow of millions of tons of water "can trigger an eruption", as was the case in 2004, but also in 1934 and 1922, underlines the body responsible for volcanic monitoring in a press release.

Conversely, glacial flows, which scientists say are accelerated by climate change, can also take place without eruption.

Frequent rashes

Located under a huge glacier called Vatnajökull in an inaccessible area of ​​central Iceland, the Grimsvötn volcano last erupted in 2011. “The recent eruptions of Grimsvötn have occurred approximately every 5 to 10 years, and due to measurements and observations, scientists agree on the fact that it is ready to erupt, ”said IMO in a press release.

"However, it is not possible to predict whether there will be an eruption following this flood," admits the institute.

Unlike the 2004 episode, which followed an ice flood and a series of earthquakes, no earthquake has yet been detected in the area.

Giant ash clouds

During the 2011 eruption, the ash cloud from Grimsvötn briefly disrupted air traffic over the British Isles, but not in comparison with the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in 2010, which had almost completely paralyzed traffic in Iceland and to Europe for days.

The last eruption in Iceland occurred on March 19 near Mount Fagradalsfjall, 40 kilometers southwest of the capital Reykjavik.

After six months of sublime lava flows without damage or casualties, the magma has not come out of the volcano since September 18, but it is still too early to declare the eruption over, according to experts.

Science

Children's questions: “How were the oceans formed?

», Asks Maël (10 years old)

World

Netherlands: Earthquake near Groningen gas field, the most intense since 2019

  • Iceland

  • Volcano

  • Planet

  • 0 comment

  • 0 share

    • Share on Messenger

    • Share on Facebook

    • Share on twitter

    • Share on Flipboard

    • Share on Pinterest

    • Share on Linkedin

    • Send by Mail

  • To safeguard

  • A fault ?

  • To print