The terrifying sounds that indicated Iceland’s volcano was about to explode again: an audio clip reveals the seismic activity leading up to the eruption
Residents of Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula faced even more devastation this week as they experienced the third volcanic eruption since December.
Around 5:30 a.m. local time, an explosion tore open a two-mile-long gorge, sending plumes of lava as high as 200 feet into the air.
Now a creepy recording has revealed the sounds that warned the volcano would erupt again.
Seismic activity recorded by Northwestern University’s Earthtunes system reveals the ominous groaning and clicking that preceded the explosion.
And you can even hear the terrifying sound of the earth cracking open as the devastating eruption occurred.
Residents of Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula faced even more devastation this week as they faced the third volcanic eruption since December
Earthtunes, an app created by Northwestern University, records the seismic activity that led to the explosion
The eruption released massive amounts of lava across the site, destroying everything in its path.
But before it burst through the Earth, it was preceded by weeks of escalating seismic activity.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office reported that there were 200 earthquakes in the eruption area in the week to February 5.
This was caused by the magma chamber beneath the volcano refilling and building up pressure.
The Met Office estimated that there were nine million cubic meters of magma in the underground reservoir before the eruption.
This audio recording condenses the 24 hours of seismic activity leading up to the explosion into a human-audible format.
Normally, the rumbling of seismic activity in the Earth’s crust is at too low a frequency to be picked up by human ears.
But condensing an entire day of shooting into just a minute and a half raises the pitch to a point where you can hear the earth shifting.
The pressure of the magma trapped beneath the Earth erupted into a two-mile-long fissure, spewing lava into the air.
Lava has already hit a vital hot water pipe (pictured), which explodes into steam. As a result, 20,000 people have difficulty getting hot water
In the recording you can hear how the day leading up to the eruption was punctuated by quiet clicks over the background rumbling.
In the run-up to previous eruptions on the Reykjanes Peninsula, similar clicks and bumps were caused by magma pushing through the crust.
These ‘magma intrusions’ produce shock waves strong enough to be picked up by seismographs and are a strong sign of increased volcanic activity.
And this shot even seems to capture the moment the volcano erupted.
Shortly before 5:30 a.m. you can hear the first of a series of rapid clicks and cracks that almost sound like breaking ice.
These clicks become louder before suddenly peaking around 5:55 am and again shortly after 6:30 am.
This is consistent with reporting on the eruption from the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO).
In a statement, the IMO said: ‘At 5.30am this morning, intense small earthquake activity began north-east of Sylingarfell. About 30 minutes later, an eruption began in the same area.”
The seismic recordings capture the earthquakes that preceded the eruption at about 5:30 a.m. and the tremors that followed the explosion
Since November, thousands of Icelanders have been evacuated from their homes in the town of Grindavik and surrounding areas due to the proximity of the volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula.
Iceland has extremely high levels of volcanic activity due to its location above the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
This crack in the ocean floor divides the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates and allows eruptions to occur regularly.
The island itself experiences an eruption about every four to five years, but the Reykjanes Peninsula has lain dormant for eight centuries.
There have now been five eruptions since August 2022 and three since December alone.
This has led volcanologists to say that this was likely the start of a new era of activity in the region.
The biggest concern is that lava from this latest eruption will travel towards the city of Grindavik, 30 miles (48 kilometers) southwest of Iceland’s capital Reykjavik.
Observations of the eruption suggest it is unlikely to cause further damage to nearby settlements, provided the flow continues to recede
Iceland is a particular hotspot for seismic activity because it sits on a tectonic plate boundary called the Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Since November, Grindavik’s 3,800 residents have been evacuated due to increased volcanic activity in the area.
In January, an eruption sent streams of lava flowing into the city, destroying three houses after a nearby defensive wall was overwhelmed.
The lava from this latest eruption is currently moving away from populated areas and is unlikely to damage any more homes.
“Lava is currently flowing mainly westward and the flow appears to be slightly less than at the beginning of the December 18 eruption,” IMO said.
However, Iceland’s Civil Protection Agency has now declared a state of emergency after lava flows damaged vital hot water pipes.
This map shows the extent of the lava flows from the last eruptions in the area. The darker area shows the lava flow from the December eruption, while the lighter area shows where lava traveled after this last eruption
This aerial photo shows the extent of the lava flow. You can see how the last lava flow has covered some parts of the lava left behind from the December eruption
The damage has left 20,000 people struggling to access hot water and recovery could take days.
The agency has warned residents of the affected area to conserve hot water and electricity and schools in the area are now closed.
There are also concerns that lava could hit important pipelines near the Svartsengi geothermal power plant.
If this were to happen, another 30,000 people could be affected.
Last night the IMO confirmed that the intensity of the eruption has continued to decrease.
The IMO notes that reduced lava flow indicates that less pressure has now built up beneath the rift, raising hopes that further damage can be avoided.