Published August 22, 2022
Just two and a half weeks after Meradaryl’s eruption began, volcanic activity appears to have dropped to virtually non-existent levels.
On Saturday, gas and lava were being emitted from the vent, but that activity had decreased significantly over the past 24 hours and was barely visible to viewers.
Morgunblaðið reported no detectable activity at the site as of Sunday morning. A thick blue-grey plume rose from the crater at about 6:00 am on Sunday, and the quake’s tremors stopped completely.
Researchers at the University of Iceland are trying to determine if lava is still flowing in the pond at the bottom of the crater, according to a Facebook post. If not, the eruption could have ended at 6:00 am on Sunday. The Iceland Meteorological Service has yet to confirm that the eruption has ended.
According to another post from the university, Meladaryl’s slow decline is very different from Geldingadaryl’s eruption, which ended very abruptly.
Even though the volcano appeared to have collapsed, thousands of tourists continued to flock to the site for a glimpse of the smoking crater.
Thousands of tourists continue to visit the site even though the eruption has subsided.
On Saturday, August 20, a plume of blue-grey smoke rises from the otherwise dormant crater.
