Bardarbunga eruption intensifies - two new effusive fissures opened up, Iceland

Two new effusive fissures have opened up in the Holuhraun eruption (Bardarbunga volcano), about 2 kilometres north of the Dyngjujokull outlet glacier. Lava is streaming out of the new fissures,

but they are smaller than the one that started erupting last Sunday. The area around the Holuhraun eruption is now closed to all traffic. According to RUV - The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service, the two new fissures are about 1,5 kilometers south of the previous eruption. Volcanologist Thorvaldur Thordarson said large new surface cracks have been observed there in the last days, and a small rift valley (graben) has formed, which extends under the glacier. According to Icelandic Met Office (IMO), earthquakes until 06:00 UTC today have been recorded in similar locations as in recent days: in Bárðarbunga, in the dyke intrusion beneath and north of Dyngjujökull and at Herðubreiðartögl. Two earthquakes of magnitude 4.3 and 5.2 occurred on the rim of the Bárðarbunga caldera. The first earthquake was recorded at 23:33 UTC yesterday and the larger event at 01:19 UTC today. Since midnight, the total number of automatically located earthquakes is around 100.