The flow of the Grímsvötn glacial flooding reached its peak yesterday morning and has begun to subside.
The flooding is caused by melting glacial ice from the volcano Grímsvötn, which rests underneath one of Vatnajökull’s ice caps. Glacial flooding from this volcano system is a regular event on Iceland’s south coast, and the most recent round of floods has not caused any significant damage to infrastructure.
Since last night, several earthquakes have been registered at Grímsvötn, but the Meteorological Office reports that there is no significant increase in seismic activity or threat of eruption.
In total, the ice sheet has sunk some 15m, indicating the volume displaced by the flooding. At its peak, the flow from the glacier reached 500m³/s, a level that is not considered to pose any significant risk to the region. Travellers to the south coast may, however, have noticed swollen rivers over the weekend.
Grímsvötn is one of Iceland’s most active volcano systems, with eruption cycles average 5-10 years. With Grímsvötn’s last eruption having taken place in 2011, it may be soon due, but as of now, there are no immediate signs pointing towards and eruption.
