Daily News from Iceland, August 18, 1997
Volcanic activity registered under Vatnajökull glacier
An eruption is taking place in one of the two
Skaftárketill calderas under Vatnajökull glacier.
They are situated in the northwest of
Vatnajökull, about 10km west of the site of last
fall's eruption, and far away from any human
settlements.
Seismic tremors were registered at about 12:40
and 4pm yesterday. According to geologist Helgi
Björnsson, the eruption is considerably less
powerful than the one last fall, and it is not at
all certain that it will melt its way through the
ice cap.
He considers, though, that this eruption could be
a sign that Vatnajökull is coming to life again,
volcanically speaking. The area under the
glacier has in historical times alternated
between periods of activity and inactivity, and
since 1938 it has been unusually calm there.
That calm, says Björnsson, may be over for the
time being.
Surge occurring in Skaftá river
On Friday a surge began in the Skaftá river in
south Iceland, which is resulting from the
current volcanic activity under Vatnajökull
glacier. Currently the surge is a relatively small
one.
So far it appears that water melting underneath
the glacier is being released gradually, rather
than building up over time and rushing out as
happened in last autumn's Skeidarárhlaup
flood. The road up into Skaftárdalur valley has
been closed, as a protective wall has given way,
but otherwise the river's surge has caused no
damage as yet.
Daily News from Iceland, August 22, 1997
Glacial waters, rain close roads in south
Heavy rainfall and volcano-melted ice from the
Vatnajökull glacier have flooded roads in the
Skeidarársandur area of south Iceland.
As the water level on the crucial Route 1
national ring road reached 20cm authorities
closed the road to normal traffic.
It is feared that the deluge has breached flood
barriers designed to shield the road.
Latest reports on state radio say the water level
on the road has risen to almost half a metre in
the past few hours.
Daily News from Iceland, August 29, 1997
Vatnajökull fallout shrinks Iceland's glaciers
Ash from last year's Vatnajökull eruption is
speeding up the melting process of the country's
glaciers.
Scientists say that Iceland's ice caps have been
melting this summer at a faster rate than
normal. They believe that a blanket of ash
laying on the surface attracts sunshine and
thereby heat.
A similar pattern was detected in the wake of
the volcanic eruption of Mt. Hekla in 1991 when
experts noticed an excellerated melting of the
glaciers.
Another contributing factor could be that
snowfall last winter was lighter. Glacial ice,
apparently melts quicker than snow.
1998
Vatnajökull glacier erupts
A volcanic eruption began in the Vatnajökull glacier in south-east Iceland around 9:20 this morning. According
to scientists, earthquake activity was detected earlier in the morning in the southern part of the glacier, in an
area called Grímsvötn, where a spectacular eruption
took place only a couple of years ago.
Although the exact location of the eruption and actual size have yet to be determined, a massive column of
steam, reaching 10 km (30,000 ft) into the sky (at 10:30), can be seen all the way to
Reykjavík. People in
nearby regions have informed of a mushroom looking cloud with sparkles of fire and black ash - a magnificent sight no doubt.
Air traffic is being diverted, but the roads remain open. There is little danger of immediate flooding and glacial
bursts, as the water level in Grímsvötn is fairly low.
Geophysicists will by flying out into the region within the hour to examine the sight and provide more detail account of what is
happening. Daily News From Iceland will be updated later today as more information becomes available.
From: Daily News from Iceland (Dec. 18, 1998)
Update on the Vatnajökull eruption
The volcanic eruption which began in the Vatnajökull glacier in south-east Iceland around 9:20 this morning is originating in Grímsfjall in the south-western part of the glacier. Approximately 1 km long fissure is steadily spouting steam and ashes 10-15 km into the air (over 30,000 feet). The column of steam was visible from high rises in Reykjavík this morning.
According to scientists, earthquake activity was detected shortly before 4 am in the area close to
Grímsvötn, where a spectacular eruption took place only a couple of years ago. The last time this exact fissure erupted was in 1983 and before that there was a large eruption in 1934. There is little danger of immediate flooding as the water level in Grímsvötn is fairly low.
Iceland's Civil Aviation Administration has issued an international flight warning, and scheduled flights have been asked to divert from the eruption. At the same time, domestic airlines and small private planes are offering charter flights over the area. The weather is picture perfect and apparently many are willing to dish out USD 180 for a snap-shot.
Ashes from the eruption are expected to reach farms in the south-east later in the day. The Meteorological Institute is asking its weather observers to place a white dish outside to detect falling ashes.
From: Daily News from Iceland (Dec. 18, 1998)