Watch: Scientist boil water with glowing lava creeping from Icelandic Bardarbunga volcano [View all]

[jakeXT]

The fissure eruption in Holuhraun continues with similar intensity as during the past days and shows no sign of stopping soon. The latest satellite images indicate that the lava now flows into two main branches, one (the older one) to the north and a new one to the east.
Astonishing lava volumes:
The lava flows erupted since the beginning cover around 37 square km and comprise a total volume of 0.4-0.6 cubic kilometers. If compared to an explosive eruption (for which the VEI scale was designed) using the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) scale, the eruption has already reached the category VEI 5. It has so far erupted about the same volume of magma as the 1980 Mt. St. Helens eruption.
The discharge rate was estimated to 250-350 cubic meters per second. For a full day (86400 seconds), this corresponds to a cube measuring approx. 300 m on its sides. It would be enough to fill a soccer field with a pile 2-3 km tall of lava!

The subsidence of the Bardarbunga caldera continues with same rate as before, approx. 50 cm each day. It has now subsided by almost 30 meters in total.


http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/bardarbunga/news/48070/Bardarbunga-volcano-update-Eruption-continues-with-steady-and-large-lava-output-rate.html