Why could a new volcanic eruption in Iceland be the most dangerous in modern history?

The fact that very little information about the eruption is known with certainty also reinforces its machinations. Just one day after it started, The rash subsided Clearly, it seemed possible that it would be extinguished within days. Instead, experts say, this behavior can indicate That eruption I will continue Lava pumping At this modest rate for several months.

“If magma is stored in… Svartsinghe Still going Renovated in depthcould erupt Achieve balance “It appears that the magma supply has been almost continuous since the end of October, so it seems realistic that it could continue for another two months into the future,” Winder says.

fact that Underground volcanic magma in the area That it is a largely unsolved mystery only exacerbates the uncertainty of this crisis. Simply It is unclear why Magma targeted Svartsinji this time. Did it migrate from Fagradalsfjall or did it come from another underground warehouse? Why did the ground around Svartsinje swell before without an eruption, but this time it was successful?

In less than 24 hours after the rash begins. Researchers I managed to collect Lava samples from the new eruption And compare it to the last three that occurred on the peninsula. According to Ed Marshall, a geologist at the University of Iceland, they all did Very similar chemistry. This means that there is some kind of magmatic connection between Svartsengi and Fagradalsfjall, but the nature of this connection is not very clear at the moment.

What volcanologists want to know above all is… What happened between the seismic drama of early November and this week’s eruption. Can they predict exactly when and where magma will reach the surface from data obtained in the weeks leading up to the eruption? “This is a big, interesting question, and it’s at the heart of what a lot of people will be looking at in the coming months,” says Mike Burton, a volcanologist at the University of Manchester.

For now, all scientists can do is Monitoring procedures Of movement Magma and explosions We hope that your feedback will eventually reveal the secrets behind this new offering Volcanic force.