Why might there be an earthquake?

There are lots of concern as 22,000 earthquakes have been recorded since the 25th October 2023 to early November. Most of these have been many earthquakes however seven have gone above a 4.5 Magnitude. So there it was thought that there may be a volcanic eruption in Iceland. Scientist believe the cause of the seismic activity is magma moving through the crust. The Magma has been moving from the crust closer to the Earth's surface. 

What is a sill and how has the magma travelled?

A sill is a horizontal magma layer which can form between two layers within the crust. A sill formed in Late October. Scientists are not sure how the sill has been fed by magma, however they believe that the magma has come from the mantle. As the Magma accumulated it found a weakness, a fissure (crack in the crust). Because of the crack it is easier for the magma to move through the fissures. The magma exploited this weakness and that's why it has moved sideways 15km but has risen 2-3 km. 

Effects of tectonic activity

The tectonic activity has done considerable impact on the area. The coastal town of Grindavík has had property damage from the earthquakes as well as major damage to various infrastructures such as roads and utilities. The areas affected by this activity have been south-west Iceland and it causing concerns that a volcanic eruption may happen here.

Steps taken to manage situation

3,800 residents of Grindavík have been evacuated. The authorities have also declared a state of emergency, and roads to and from the town, have been closed as a safety measure due to the increase in tectonic activity.

A defence mound is being constructed around the Svartsengi geothermal power plant to try protect it from potential lava flows. The power plant is one of the most important in Iceland as it provides hot water and heating for more than 21,000 homes.

Continuous monitoring of seismic activity and volcanic gas is done to try and predict and prepare for future events.