The Icelandic Met Office is closely monitoring uplift at Askja volcano in the Central Highland. Benedikt Gunnar Ófeigsson, a deformation scientist at the institution, told mbl.is that it is not possible to rule out an eruption at the site. The land at Askja has risen 15 centimetres since the beginning of August, movement that is most likely explained by magma accumulating below the surface.
Askja is located in Iceland’s Central Highland, far from inhabited areas. Over the last 7,000 years, its eruption frequency has been around 2-3 eruptions per 100 years. The last eruption at the site occurred in 1961: it was a moderate eruption that produced about 0.1km3 of lava.
Though Benedikt states that the uplift at Askja may still lead to an eruption, he added that it was too early to say when a potential eruption would occur. An uncertainty phase is active in the area.
