Inflation might have ceased and more power in the eruption

Volcanologist Þor­vald­ur Þórðar­son says that it seems that activity in the volcano at the Sund­hnúkagígar crater row has increased overnight and there are signs that the inflation in Svartsengi has stopped.

“It seems to me that the eruption last night has increased a little. The lower magma chamber is full and then the magma levels that were flooding it just go right up,” Þórðarson told mbl.is.

He says that the magma flow from the deeper storage chamber has been split approximately halfway between the shallow magma chamber and the volcanic eruption, so the flow is now increasing from three cubic meters per second to five to six cubic meters per second.

Inflation ceased and the lower magma chamber full

“It seems to me that the inflation has stopped. It’s obvious that the shallower magma chamber has become full and can’t take any more without breaking.”

Þórðarson says he sees two scenarios. One is that the flow will either pass by or through the shallower magma chamber and nothing will flow out of it. The eruption will therefore continue as it is.

He says that if this scenario is followed, there will be no deflation in Svartsengi and the magma will cool down and coalesce.

Could stay open

The other scenario, Þórðarson believes, is that the eruption channel could stay open and the craters could extend. He says that if this scenario happens, deflation in Svartsengi should be apparent in the next few days.

The eruption has been ongoing since March 16 and the magma that has been added to the magma chamber since the eruption began has reached more than ten million cubic meters. In previous events, magma has flowed from Svartsengi when it has been between 8 million and 13 million cubic meters.