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Katla Volcano - John Seach
Iceland
63.63 N, 19.05 W
summit elevation 1512 m
subglacial volcano
Katla Volcano is located in southern Iceland under Mýrdalsjökull glacier. It is considered the most dangerous volcano in Iceland.
The highest points of the ice cap lie on the caldera rim and include Goðabunga, Háabunga, Austmannsbunga, Enta, Entukollar.
Eruptions at Katla volcano are phreatomagmatic, and produce high eruption columns and catastrophic meltwater floods. Historically large eruptions have occurred at regular intervals about every 50 years.
Holocene eruptions at Katla volcano have been characterised by three types.
1) Basaltic explosive eruptions inside the caldera have occurred twice per century.
2) Silicic explosive eruptions in or near the caldera occur less frequently.
3) Large effusive basaltic fissure eruptions, producing volumes of 10 cubic km have occurred on two occasions during the Holocene.
Earthquakes at Katla Volcano
Katla has been seismically active for at least the past forty years, with two distinct areas predominating - Gooabunga rise in the west, and within Katla caldera in the centre. Earthquakes are more common during the autumn than during spring. There is almost no seismicity at the beginning of the year, and the earthquakes start to
occur in late summer. Seismicity indicates an intruding hot and acidic cryptodome, with a summit at a depth of 1.5 km.
1999 Eruption
In 1999 there was a glacial outburst at Katla volcano, possibly caused by a small eruption under the ice. The water flowed into Jökulsá á Sólheimasandi river. The source of the melting was a depression formed in the glacier surface. The flood was preceded by a burst of seismic tremor. Subglacial geothermal activity increased in the following weeks. Geothermal activity at Katla increased since 1999.
Katla Volcano Eruptions
1999, 1955, 1918, 1860, 1823, 1755-56, 1721, 1660-61, 1625, 1612, 1580, 1450 ± 50 yr, 1440, 1416, 1357 ± 3, 1311, 1262, 1245, 1177 ± 2, 1150 ± 50, 934 AD ± 2, 920 AD, 270 AD ± 12, 850 BC ± 50, 1220 BC ± 12, 1450 BC ± 40,