Several days after a months-long eruption of the Fagradalsfjall volcano ended, Iceland has been hit by thousands of earthquakes over the past 24 hours, local outlets write.
Local media have reported about 1,700 to 2,000 tremors that have shaken the Reykjanes Peninsula as well as the capital Reykjavík following the end of the volcanic eruption which was officially declared over this weekend after three months without any lava flow at Geldingadalir.
The seismic activity has started with minor tremors measuring between one and two in magnitude on the Richter scale though it intensified later with the strongest earthquake measuring 4.9, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO).
The epicenter of the earthquake, the IMO said, was northeast of the Geldingadalir valleys, just a few kilometers from the Fagradalsfjall volcano, at a depth of six to seven kilometers, the scene of the spectacular lava eruption between March 19 and September 18.
According to some experts, the earthquake series is not a sign of an imminent eruption but a result of magma movement although other researchers point to the fact that a month before the Fagradalsfjall volcano’s lengthy eruption began, the region has been “terrorized” by a similar swarm of earthquakes.
Iceland’s authorities have already raised to orange the flight color code, meaning the volcano displays heightened unrest with an increased likelihood of eruption.
Among those who believe that the tremors are likely a precursor of volcanic activity is the local volcanologist Þorvaldur Þórðarson, but he also noted that it’s difficult to predict what will happen next.
According to him, there has been magma movement detected in the area but stressed that it’s not clear if it is a sign that a new eruption is coming or an aftereffect from a previous one.
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