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Iceland ’s biggest volcanic extravasation in more than 200 year has cease for now .
The hugeHoluhraun lava fieldis still pocked by steaming craters , but no glowing lava was seen from the gentle wind or detected by satellite on Friday ( Feb. 27 ) . scientist with the Icelandic Meteorological Office declared an destruction to the six - month - long eruption on Saturday ( Feb. 28 ) .
A view of the Holuhraun crater on Jan. 31, 2015.
However , scientists will still watch for sign that magma is build imperativeness beneathBardarbunga vent , the reference of Holuhraun ’s lava . A series of eruptions could take berth in the coming months to years either underneath the volcano or in a different localisation , or Bardarbunga could go back to eternal sleep .
" Things have reached a quiescent stage , but it does n’t of necessity mean that nothing more will happen , " said Simon Redfern , an ground scientist at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom who is studying the bam .
The Holuhraun bang started to slack in February , with earthquake becoming modest and less frequent . In recent week , vents close down inside its lava - filled volcanic crater , northward of Vatnajökull glacier in remote central Iceland . [ Gallery : Beautiful Images of Bardarbunga ’s Volcanic Eruption ]
A photo of Iceland’s Holuhraun lava field snapped Jan. 31, 2015.
The volcanic crater was connected to Bardarbunga volcano by an underground magma dam . This long tunnel pip liquified rock candy from underneath the vent to the crater , where lava flowed to the surface .
Bardarbunga ’s airfoil has deflate like a leaky balloon since the eruption started because the dam was empty the volcano ’s magma sleeping room . But last workweek , the land give up sink , a sign the feeder pipe had close down . Now , if Modern liquified rock ‘n’ roll pushes into the vent from abstruse levels , it will lift the vent ’s control surface back up rather of seep eastern United States .
" Now we have a chance to see how rapidly the volcano is being recharged , " state Páll Einarsson , a University of Iceland geophysics professor . " By monitor the upthrust , we might be able to answer the inquiry : Is this the end of the activity , or do we have to cook ourselves for the next chapter in the story ? "
A subglacial outbreak atBardarbungacould produce copious amounts of ash and trigger flooding .
The closely watched volcano will likely unwrap its plan within the coming calendar month , via change stimulate by magma accumulating underground . For illustration , in August , scientists timed the Holuhraun eruption by tracking Bardarbunga ’s magma as it tunneled underground some 28 mile ( 45 kilometre ) from the volcano to the sand of Holuhraun .
" This was the first time we visualize a subterranean magma flow , " Redfern said . " It ’s given us novel insights into the way that magma moves beneath volcanoes . "
Einarsson said that augur Bardarbunga ’s future based on past eruptions is fraught because each of Iceland ’s more than 30volcanoeshas its own personality . " We really have to get to know them on a personal basis to tell what they ’re up to , " he order . And Bardarbunga is one of the least interpret because it is hidden by a glacier and has a poorly known story .
The eruption propagate lava across 33 square air mile ( 85 square klick ) — bigger than Manhattan Island — since it begin Aug. 31 and has regurgitate toxic gas across Iceland and Europe . scientist will continue to supervise the eruption for gun emission , theIcelandic Met Office said . Gas still rises from cooling lava , admit C monoxide , sulfur dioxide and Cl .
The lava field is eight times bigger than the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption and five clock time bigger than the 2011 Grímsvötn flak . However , it is still about 10 times small than the 1783 - 1784 Laki eruption , which cause mass famine and expiry .
