Bárðarbunga (pronounced [b'aurðarbu?ka]) is an Icelandic
stratovolcano
located under the ice cap of Vatnajökull glacier,
rising to 2,009 m (6,591 feet) above sea level, making it the second
highest mountain in Iceland, just about 101 m lower
than Hvannadalshnjúkur.
Bárðarbunga is also Iceland's largest volcanic system, considered
to be close to 200 km long and up to 25 km wide.
The volcano is covered in ice hiding her massive glacier-filled crater.
The main crater in Bárðarbunga is about 70 square
kilometers, up to 10 km wide and about 700 meters deep. The surrounding
edges rise up to 1850 meters but the base
is on average close to 1100 meters. The crater is completely filled
with ice.
Many tephra layers originally thought to belong to other volcanoes
have in the recent studies proved to be from Bárðarbunga.
The Gjálp eruption in 1996 revealed that an interaction may
be between Bárðarbunga and Grímsvötn.
A strong earthquake in Bárðarbunga, about 5 on the Richter,
is believed to have started the eruption in Gjálp.
In historic times there have been large eruptions every 250600
years. The largest lava flow in Iceland and the entire
earth from a single eruption is originated from Bárðarbunga
about 8500 years ago. The lava is believed to be 2130
cubic kilometers and covers approximately 950 square kilometers (VEI
6). Several similar-sized eruptions have been
recorded in the past 10000 years.
Mile after mile of flat landscape, and a
road as stright ahead as never seen before.
However, interrupted by rivers - many rivers - and beside the new
bridges,
we could see remains of what was older bridges, which had been taken
by the
'jökullaups', the flood
from the volcanic eruptions under the ice-cap of Vatnajökull.
From our trip to Iceland 2004. More
here.
Friday,
December 23rd, 2011
A series of earthquakes occurred at Bárðarbunga in Vatnajökull,
Icelands largest glacier, shortly before 1 am
yesterday. The largest tremor measured 3.3 on the
Richter
scale and a few others ranged between two and three points.
According to the Icelandic Meteorological Office it is too early
to tell whether the seismic activity may lead to
something else, but the situation is being monitored, ruv.is reports.
The last eruption in Iceland occurred in another volcano below Vatnajökull,
in Grímsvötn in
May 2011,
causing significant ash fall. Now another sub-glacial volcano, Katla
in Mýrdalsjökull, is under close observation
due to ongoing seismic activity
Tuesday,
November 2nd, 2010
One of the first signs that a colcano starts becoming restless, is
that the level of water in rivers coming down from the volcanoslopes
are increasing. The volcanoes on Iceland are mostly covered by ice
and snow, which make visual observations impossible. Of course, level
of seismicity is also monitored, but smaller quakes occur all the
time.
Now the river Gigja has tripled the water levels since Monday morning.
The water coming down here from the
Vatnajoekull glacier comes from an icy lake in the crater of the Grimsvotn
volcano.
So, to read more about what is going on, please go to Grimsvotn Volcano
- click here
There is little threat at present, but that they cannot
predict how the activity
on the different glaciers may develop.