Bárðarbunga volcano, considered the second largest in Iceland, has caused more than 130 earthquakes in just the past five hours, raising concerns about a possible eruption, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO). As a precaution, authorities have raised the yellow flag in the area, which indicates high activity above normal levels, writes A2 CNN.
Bárðarbunga is located in Iceland's largest glacier, Vatnajökull, and its last eruption was in 2014/15. At that time, it released large amounts of sulfur dioxide, significantly polluting the air, but had little effect on international flights, as it did not produce much volcanic ash.
The Meteorological Office reported that seismic activity began early Tuesday morning and included a large earthquake with a magnitude of 5.1, while 17 other earthquakes were above magnitude 3. Activity has been increasing in recent months, with four earthquakes above magnitude 5 recorded in 2024.
According to experts, including Valentin Troll from Uppsala University, an eruption could be similar to the one in 2014/15 or occur under the ice, causing explosions of steam from the mixing of magma with meltwater.
Iceland has experienced several major eruptions recently, including those on the Reykjanes Peninsula, where the eruptions have affected infrastructure and forced evacuations. However, Bárðarbunga's remote location minimizes the risk to people and infrastructure. (A2 Televizion)
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