Over 1 km³ of lava erupted at Holuhraun
The volume of lava in Holuhraun is now thought to exeed 1 cubic kilometer (1000 million cubic meters). (Picture: Omar Ragnarsson/RUV)
The Holuhraun lavafield has now reached a size of 70 square kilometers and its volume is thought to have exceeded 1 cubic kilometer, or one billion cubic meters. This lava eruption is thus the second largest in Iceland since the Laki eruption in 1783 - 1784.
"We may be in for the long haul, regarding this eruption," says geophysicist Pall Einarsson, professor at the University of Iceland's Institute of Earth Sciences. "During the last decades, we have experienced eruptions that have been forceful at the start, and rather short lived, such as the Hekla and Grimsvotn eruptions," says Einarsson. "But we can also talk about the Heimaey eruption in 1973, which lasted from January until July that year, and the Krafla eruptions, which lasted intermittently for 15 years. So a long-lasting event in Holuhraun is not a remote possibility; the eruption is now in a well established phase and it's difficult to see any signs of changes."
Bardarbunga still shaking
Seismic activity in the Bardarbunga caldera, south of Holuhraun, still continues, with over 60 earthquakes detected today and yesterday. Limited activity has been detected in the dyke intrusion which is thought to feed the Holuhraun eruption. „As long as there is an eruption there, we see lower pressure beneath Bardarbunga,“ says Einarsson. „Should the magma in the instrusion freeze, we will have to see what happens in the caldera.“
Started small - getting big
With constant activity in the main crater in the lavafield, the Holuhraun lavafield has been growing steadily towards the north and east of the source; reaching 70 square kilometres in recent days. The volume is also impressive; with over 1 cubic kilometer of lava erupted, Holuhraun is now the second largest effusive eruption in Iceland since the 18th century. Only the Laki eruption in 1783 - 1784 is bigger, with 15 cubic kilometers of erupted lava.
"The Holuhraun eruption is accordingly the second biggest effusive eruption when it comes to the SO2 pollution," says Einarsson. That pollution is persistent in Iceland, annoying inhabitants in every part of the country, depending on the weather. 40 - 60.000 tonnes of SO2 are released into the air every day in Holuhraun, and pollution levels have sometimes reached dangerous levels, especially in eastern Iceland.
Below is a snapshot of the current forecast for SO2 pollution distribution in Iceland. See here for detailed forecast. The Icelandic Met Office also publishes pollution forecast on its webpage, see here.
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