Eyjafjallajökull Caldera Eruption

An Icelander on Eruptions reports there is now a pyroclastic flow warning.

About 5 minutes ago a whole bunch of steam started rising from the ground in front of the Poro webcam, now you can't see anything. When the steam clears we'll see if the dam finally broke.

Good evening boys and girls. Here we go again, the official report

Eruption in Eyjafjallajökull - Status Report: 15:00 GMT, 04 May 2010
Icelandic Meteorological Office and Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland

Compiled by: Sigurlaug Hjaltadóttir, Freysteinn Sigmundsson, Björn Oddsson, Sigrún Hreinsdóttir, Matthew J Roberts, Hjörleifur Sveinbjörnsson.

Based on: IMO seismic monitoring; IES-IMO GPS monitoring; IMO hydrological data; web cameras of the eruption site from Vodafone, Milan and Mulakot; IMO weather radar measurements, NOAA satellite image; information from an eye witness at Fljótshlíð (MJR), information from the Icelandic Coast Guard flight.

Eruption plume:
Height (a.s.l.): Plume observed at 5.8-6 km height (19-20,000 ft) estimated from the Icelandic Coast Guard (ICG) flight at 10:40 and 15:30 GMT. The plume has also been observed on IMO's weather radar at 5.2-5.4 km height between 13:05 and 14:00 GMT.
Heading: East-south-east to south-east from the eruption site. Plume track clearly visible up to 300-400 km distance from the eruption site on a noaa satellite image at 13:13 GMT.
Colour: Observation from web cameras and from pilots in ICG-flight: Dark grey ash plume observed over the eruptive site, larger than yesterday. White (steam) plumes rising from Gígjökull outlet glacier, north of the eruption site smaller than yesterday.
Tephra fallout: According to the police at Hvolsvöllur there was ash-fall in Álftaver and Meðalland, 65-80 km east-south-east of Eyjafjallajökull, where people could hardly see next farms (in a few kilometres distance).
Lightning: No detections today over the eruption site.
Noises: An eye witness in Fljótshlíð (9-10 N of eruption site) heard explosions every few seconds. He also hears seperate noises from Gígjökull outlet glacier.

Meltwater:
Water levels have been rather constant. Water temperature at Markarfljot bridge was low this morning (below 2°C) but seems to be rising (about 5°C at noon). Water level seems to be slightly decreasing.

Conditions at eruption site:
Explosive activity and ash production is strong and has increased since yesterday. Dark ash plume rises above the crater. Lava is still flowing northwards, forming a lava fall down the steep hill under Gígjökull, about 4 km north of the crater. Blue gas is seen rising from the lava and white steam plumes are seen somewhat lower and mark the front of the lava stream. Radar images from ICG-flight today show tunnels in Gígjökull increasing in size and continuing the build up of the cone at the crater. The size of the eruptive crater is 280 x 190 m. Lava splashes are thrown at least a few hundred meters into the air.

Seismic tremor:
Tremor levels decreased last night (3 May) and have decreased even further this morning at around 11:00 GMT. They now seem to be at a similar level as on 18 April.

Earthquakes:
Several earthquakes were detected beneath Eyjafjallajökull yesterday evening and early this morning. As yesterday, they seem to originate deep in the crust (14 -20 km).

GPS deformation:
Irregular oscillations in vertical component of stations next to the volcano.

Other remarks:
No measurable geophysical changes within the Katla volcano.

Overall assessment:
More explosive activity and ash production than was observed yesterday. Progression of the lava seems to be slower than yesterday. Presently there are no indications that the eruption is about to end.


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reply to post by Mr Zeropoint


Not 21 today unless you are getting different info from me? Source please.

I make it 26 quakes in Iceland of which 14 are at Myrdalsjokull as at 22:18 UTC

Date Time Latitude Longitude Depth Magnitude Quality Location
04.05.2010 21:44:47 63.666 -19.850 1.1 km 1.6 90.01 8.9 km NE of Seljalandsfoss
04.05.2010 20:40:13 63.943 -20.808 7.1 km 3.8 48.3 7.7 km W of Þjórsárbrú
04.05.2010 20:40:04 63.631 -19.644 9.0 km 2.1 90.05 9.5 km WSW of Básar
04.05.2010 20:17:17 66.278 -18.420 7.2 km 1.2 54.5 13.5 km NNW of Gjögurtá
04.05.2010 18:58:06 63.631 -19.581 14.7 km 1.9 90.01 7.1 km SW of Básar
04.05.2010 18:53:22 63.613 -19.677 8.7 km 1.5 59.05 12.0 km SW of Básar
04.05.2010 18:51:01 63.638 -19.646 4.7 km 2.1 90.03 9.2 km WSW of Básar
04.05.2010 18:42:51 66.119 -17.728 9.1 km 0.8 48.95 7.3 km SE of Flatey
04.05.2010 18:16:14 66.601 -17.941 8.9 km 1.7 75.28 7.3 km NNE of Grímsey
04.05.2010 17:28:47 63.913 -20.451 7.8 km 1.9 37.02 8.8 km NNW of Hella
04.05.2010 17:28:34 63.628 -19.621 12.4 km 2.2 90.03 8.8 km SW of Básar
04.05.2010 16:35:23 63.696 -19.705 1.1 km 1.3 47.43 11.2 km W of Básar
04.05.2010 16:28:15 66.265 -18.401 7.1 km 1.7 81.28 11.9 km NNW of Gjögurtá
04.05.2010 15:07:09 66.241 -18.287 11.1 km 1.7 76.24 7.6 km N of Gjögurtá
04.05.2010 11:23:31 63.606 -19.707 2.2 km 1.7 65.97 13.5 km NW of Skógar
04.05.2010 06:55:08 66.352 -17.434 6.2 km 1.6 77.76 27.5 km NE of Flatey
04.05.2010 03:42:05 63.621 -19.637 1.1 km 2.9 90.01 9.9 km SW of Básar
04.05.2010 03:41:53 63.616 -19.627 1.3 km 2.4 90.02 9.9 km SW of Básar
04.05.2010 03:40:55 63.701 -19.592 1.1 km 2.2 90.02 6.1 km WNW of Básar
04.05.2010 03:40:54 63.621 -19.647 1.9 km 1.7 39.76 10.3 km SW of Básar
04.05.2010 01:24:37 63.641 -19.622 13.0 km 1.8 99.0 8.0 km WSW of Básar
04.05.2010 01:17:21 66.605 -17.925 7.8 km 1.0 55.29 8.0 km NNE of Grímsey
04.05.2010 01:12:10 65.008 -16.667 4.0 km 2.4 90.03 4.5 km SW of Dreki
04.05.2010 00:57:26 63.636 -19.584 21.6 km 1.4 99.0 6.8 km SW of Básar
04.05.2010 00:48:34 66.614 -17.972 10.0 km 1.1 50.92 8.2 km NNE of Grímsey
04.05.2010 00:48:00 66.603 -17.884 5.6 km 1.6 60.43 8.8 km NE of Grímsey

[edit on 4/5/2010 by PuterMan]

reply to post by quakewatcher


Do you think that was steam? I sorta thought that too.

we won't see anything until they fix that poro cam



[edit on 4-5-2010 by berkeleygal]

Puterman, what do you mean it's at Myradaljokull ? isn't that where katla is located,

en.vedur.is...=map

this doesen't show it, can you show me your sources?

EDIT: Ah i just realised that's the name of the entire area, don't worry



[edit on 4-5-2010 by Mr Zeropoint]

reply to post by berkeleygal


Jón Frímann on Eruptions said a warning came over Icelandic media. I can't find an online source other than that. Right now apparently it's just a warning. They really want people to stay the heck out of the area.

reply to post by Mr Zeropoint


You got it!

This is the map for Myrdalsjokull

Looks like somebody is trying to do something with poro cam

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/28a075c91be7.jpg[/atsimg]

reply to post by bigyin

thts just windows being annoying as usual

reply to post by bigyin

Yep. That's the same message I'm getting... What does it mean?? I'm assuming the cam is down?? So disappointing!! Hope they get it fixed soon...

good show on

eldgos.mila.is...

Oh Poro is back up btw.

[edit on 4-5-2010 by Mr Zeropoint]

reply to post by j.r.c.b.


no i dont think so..it has to do with the computer thts connected to the cam...windows vista always gives stupid register thingies..

eldgos.mila.is...

poro is working now

and showing well

pro cam is great now

getting dark, daylight in about 5 hours

you see those people (lights) on the bottom right corner ?

crazy people

O, O.k...Thanks for the replies, especially about the Vista problem ...Good to know in the future!! The cam is addicting...Absolute beauty though devastating...Can't take my eyes off of it

[edit on 5/4/10 by j.r.c.b.]

reply to post by berkeleygal


those are people? ..i thought they are burning rocks being thrown around...i guess im expecting too much lol

reply to post by Shant


looked like snomobile lights to me

There is definately some light in the lower right. I thought at first it was an ATV or quad. You can occasionally still see the light. But I'm not sure if it's people. It would be crazy to be at the base of the mountain. It is obvious from poro' that the lava has made it to the end of the channel and is pooling behind the dam. There is indeed a threat that there will be a pyroclastic flow when the dam fails. The place where the lights originated is in a danger zone from lahars. And to be down there in the dark?

I've got lava on Poro cam - halfway down the glacier from its general location....