Will Iceland's Largest Volcano Erupt? Katla Earthquakes Followed By Tremors Could Trigger Eruption

Iceland’s largest volcano was recovering Monday after being rocked by a series of early morning earthquakes. The North Atlantic Island’s Met Office reported that two earthquakes with magnitudes of 4.6 and 4.5 hit the Katla volcano, some of the biggest seismic activity to hit the crater since 1997. According to Bloomberg, the two large quakes were followed by at least 10 tremors.

In the areas surrounding the caldera, or volcanic crater, no immediate reports of damages, injuries or casualties were announced.

The first earthquake “swarm” was noted at around 1:30 a.m. local time, which included a series of smaller tremors with the largest magnitude being a 2.4, the Iceland Review reported. The two larger quakes that were over a magnitude of 4 were said to have occurred around 10 minutes after the first series. The quakes have since ceased.

Katla is located in South Iceland and lies under the Mýrdalsjökull icecap, rising 1,450 meters (or 4,757 feet) into the air. Local scientists have been monitoring the volcano this summer. The water level of the glacial river Múlakvísl, which lies within Mýrdalsjökull glacier, had apparently risen following an increase in Katla’s seismic activity, The Iceland Review published in another article in late July. The small glacial outburst flood was believed to have started on July 2, 2016.

Katla’s last major earthquake in 1977 was measured at a 5.1 magnitude. The volcano's last eruption was documented in 1918, which the Iceland Review reported caused serious flooding and ash fall.

A natural hazards specialist has deemed that despite the recent quakes, there is no volcanic activity or any glacial flooding.

In April of 2010 Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted, causing thousands of flight cancellations throughout Europe when fear of the particles formed from the lava released into the air would cause serious damage to aircrafts’ engines.