Comments on: JAYSUS!!! Earthquake!

By: Dorothy Gale

Dorothy Gale — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 04:05:22 +0000

Did Kleifarvatn start draining again? Then Arnaldur Indriðason will be able to write a sequel to his latest!

By: Jenny

Jenny — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 23:27:29 +0000

Glad you’re OK. If Hekla erupts, the weather will get warmer — always look on the bright side! Ciao.

By: Rozanne

Rozanne — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 22:52:42 +0000

Glad everyone’s OK. Scary.

By: Mike Richards

Mike Richards — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 22:09:37 +0000

Hi pikarl

Glad to see someone else here did some geology – hope you enjoyed it!

By: pikarl

pikarl — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 15:37:11 +0000

As I heared from my teachers during the university of Iceland last year Hekla shows several different eruption schemes. This “10 years rhythm” is not as dangerous than a less frequent scheme which occurs much less frequent and less foreseeable. The reason for this are several different types of magma: The less acidic magmas from the mid oceanic ridge and the earth` mantle´s hot spot below Iceland are not that dangerous and [would] lead to Hawaiian type eruptions. But these magmas mix with more acidic crustal magma (molten crust rock) which increase the viscosity.

Thus the explosivity of Hekla eruptions really depend on the amount of acidic crustal melt in the magma.

By: Mike Richards

Mike Richards — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:12:07 +0000

‘However, word has it that Hekla could blow at any time now, too, and tourists and hikers are advised to stay away.’

Oooh do you think you could persuade Hekla to hold on for four or five weeks until my trip to Iceland?

Though Hekla erupted in 1970, 1980, 1991 and 2000; that’s rather anomalous – before then it was much more capricious. Before 1970 it last erupted in 1947 – the biggest eruption since the settlement, and before then it was a small eruption in 1913.

When I was in Iceland last year, I asked one of the guys showing me the sights (not that we could see anything through the rain / snow / hail / fog); if he’d seen Hekla erupt. Yes, he had stopped off for some beers, then driven up to a nearby mountain and watched the lava.

I. am. so. jealous.

By: alda

alda — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:39:08 +0000

SOe – there was a bigger one at 5.20 pm.

By: SOe

SOe — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:35:54 +0000

Okay, just found out at http://en.vedur.is/earthquakes-and-volcanism/earthquakes/#view=table
Thursday, 25.06.2009, 19:20:33
Magnitude 3.8
4.9 km NE of Krýsuvík

By: SOe

SOe — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:32:17 +0000

When was it? I did not feel a thing!

By: alda

alda — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:21:37 +0000

Chris – I’m just basing this on a report I read somewhere very recently … a couple of days ago. On mbl.is I think. There is concern for tourists hiking up the mountain because it’s been nine years since it last erupted and we’re due for another at any time now.

And no, I’m not a particular HP fan.