Five-year uplift at Askja appears to have ended

The ground uplift that began at Askja volcano in 2021 has stopped, with initial indications of subsidence now detected in the area, mbl.is reports.

Fieldwork at Askja concluded this week. Scientists from the Icelandic Met Office and the University of Gothenburg carried out measurements of ground deformation and gas.

The deformation measurements showed that the uplift had ended, while slight subsidence was being recorded. The uplift had approached one metre.

No changes were detected in the composition of gas in eastern Askja compared with previous years. Seismic activity in the area remains low and consistent with known background activity.

The findings indicate that the sequence of events that began in 2021 has ended. The volcano’s alert level has therefore been returned to level 0, which represents normal background conditions.

Steam explosions can still occur within geothermal areas at Askja. The article also reports an estimated 44 million cubic metres of magma at a depth of three kilometres.