Seismic activity has decreased as a result of the pressure release, however a significant amount of earthquakes are still being detected in the intrusive magma dike, between the eruption site in Holuhraun lava field and south to about 5 km (3 miles) into Dyngjujökull, as reported on the website of the Icelandic Met Office at 7:10 this morning.
The strongest earthquakes which hit during the night were of 3.8 magnitude, originating in the caldera of Bárðarbunga at 04:37, as well as a 2.9 magnitude earthquake hitting at 05:39 and a 3.5 earthquake at 06:38 in the dike. The seismic activity is being closely monitored, but no significant change in volcanic activity following the events has been observed so far.
According to Björn Oddsson at the Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management, the eruption currently has no impact on communities and there have been no reports of ash fall.
Björn said in an interview with ruv.is that the situation is very different from that of the so-called ‘tourist eruption’ on Fimmvörðuháls in South Iceland in 2010 because Bárðarbunga is much more remote, far from the Ring Road, and the area has already been closed off.
