Icelandic Authorities Monitor Katla Volcano

IrishWeather: Icelandic Authorities Monitor Katla Volcano
glacial flood or jokulhlaup in southern Iceland, most likely from the Katla volcano, badly damaged a bridge leading to the closure of a busy road on Saturday.

Iceland’s Civil Protection Agency (CPA) says flooding is taking place near the volcano, most likely caused by the melting of its ice cap. However, the CPA stated that it could not rule out high geothermal heat as the cause.

RUV – The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service – reported that the flood is thought be the result of a small eruption underneath the icecap of Mýrdalsjökull, probably in the Katla crater.

An aerial observation of the Mýrdalsjökull reported cracks in two calderas in the southernmost part of the glacier. Geophysicists have reported, however, there were no indications that a volcanic eruption was occuring beneath the glacier.

Freysteinn Sigmundsson, a vulcanologist at the University of Iceland said: “At least this is not a large eruption, the Katla eruption people have been waiting for. If it is a volcanic eruption, it is a small event and possibly only geothermal water.”

Katla is located close to Eyjafjallajökull, which erupted in 2010 causing significant disruption to aviation across Europe. It also situated near Hekla.

The unusual activity picked up by sensors around Hekla during last weekend and over the early days of this week has now mostly subsided. However, geophysicists from the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) say that the volcano, one of the country’s most active, is ready to erupt.

The IMO confirmed to Icelandic newspaper Fréttabladid, that the movements registered were between ten and 20 millimetres, which is not considered to be of any significance. However, tourists have been warned against hiking at the popular visitor attraction.