The eruption in the Reykjanes Peninsula, in the Meradalur Valley, follows the standard fissure eruption pattern for the second day.
The magma pressure dropped and therefore the eruption decreased significantly after the eruption started. The crack was first about 260 meters long, but is now about 135 meters long, following Ármann Höskuldsson, a volcanologist at the Institute of Earth Sciences at the University of Iceland.
Meradalur - rapid growth of spatter ramparts on 03.08.2022 - photo Visit Reykjanes - one click to enlarge
Meradalur eruption - the scale is given by a helicopter visible by enlarging above the crack - photo 03.08.2022 Almannavarnadeild ríkislögreglustjóra
General view of the eruptive site: the fissure, the significant degassing and the growing lava field; in the background the lava field of the 2021 eruption - Photography by Hörður Kristleifsson - h0rdur 04.08.2022 via Óróapúls - one click to enlarge
Meradalur - 21 hour timelapse of fissure eruption / mbls webcam
According to Freysteinn Sigmundsson, a geophysicist, the eruption follows the predicted pattern..."more energy; more magma rising, more outgassing".
Scientists warn of the possible dangers of gases and emphasize the importance for people to take into account the direction of the wind so that they are not directly affected by the gases emitted, special mention for the bottoms of valleys, and sensitive people (asthmatics, children and dogs taken on site). Mask recommended for the brave who are going to do 17 km. to admire the volcano.
No special news on Meradalur eruption since last night, according to IMO's Sigríður Kristjánsdóttir
Late in the day, a large channel opened up from the lava pond south of the erupting valley. From there, a large river of lava began flowing east into the main valley of Meradalur. The lava flow is likely approaching a kilometer in length and extending well beyond the view of webcams in the area.
In the valley site of the eruption, you can find a gap in the landscape that the lava must cross before exiting the valleys. The lowest pass is quite east of the eruption centers, but it can be expected to take several days or weeks for the eruption to fill the valley before it happens.
Sources: IMO, Eldfjalla- og náttúruvárhópur Suðurlands, Sudurland Police, Safe Travel, Dr. Ilinskaya
An interesting but specialized article on the lavas of Fagradalsfjall 2021, to read by following this link:
Bindeman, I.N., Deegan, F.M., Troll, V.R. et al. Diverse mantle components with invariant oxygen isotopes in the 2021 Fagradalsfjall eruption, Iceland. Common Nat 13, 3737 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31348-7
A moderate eruptive activity continues at Ebeko volcano in the Kuriles. According to visual data from Severo-Kurilsk volcanologists, an explosion sent ash up to 2.5 km a.s.l., an ash cloud drifted southeast from the volcano.
Ash explosions up to 6 km above sea level could occur at any time. Ongoing activity could affect low-flying aircraft and Severo-Kurilsk airport. The aviation color code remains orange.
Volcano ash plume/cloud drift SE for 3 km.
Sources: KVERT & VAAC Tokyo
August 5, 2022, ~ Cloud Obscured Explosion ~ 桜島 ~ Sakurajima Volcano, Japan ~ 08:46 JST
The activity of Sakurajima continues.
The JMA reports an eruptive episode on August 05, 2022 at 8:46 a.m. local, and another at 12:19 p.m., accompanied by a plume of ash and gas 1,100 m above the crater, drifting to the southeast.
Source: JMA
An eruptive activity of the Karymsky volcano continues on August 5.
KVERT satellite data showed ash clouds that drifted 312 km southeast of the volcano; thermal anomalies are reported by Mirova on the volcano, between medium and low, from 1 to 56 MW.
The aviation color code remains orange.
Sources: KVERT, VAAC Tokyo, Mirova