Alert Status of Active Iceland Volcano, Hekla, Raised after Earthquakes

Hekla looms over Iceland at 4,890 feet, its snow-capped top remaining white and stark against the blue sky. Now, this volcano may be getting a little more active. The National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police has declared an "uncertainty phase" for Hekla, which is the lowest level of warning for the restless volcano.

Active for centuries, the volcano has made its way into myth and legend. Tales speak of the belief that souls of the condemned travelled through Hekla's crater on their way to Hell. It lies near the southern end of the eastern rift zone and occupies a rift-transform junction. It can remain active along the entire 3.5-mile length of its fissure during its most violent eruptions. It's estimated that the volcano itself has erupted about 20 times since the first settlement of Iceland, and "quiet" periods for the area can range between 16 to 121 years.

The upgrade in the volcano's status is due to the swarm of earthquakes that occurred recently. While they're not necessarily a sign of a pending eruption, scientists say that Hekla is long overdue for one. In recent decades, the volcano has erupted roughly every ten years.

The most recent eruption occurred in 2000 in an explosive event that included lava flows and lasted almost two weeks. In addition, multiple VEI 3 and 4 eruptions have occurred over the past century at Hekla. The biggest eruption occurred in 1104 without warning, ejecting millions of tons of tephra.

The current threat, though, is relatively low. Police are advising people not to hike in the area in order to be cautious, and the Icelandic Meteorological Office has upgraded the aviation alert status for Hekla to Yellow due to the unusual nature of the activity at the volcano. There are no signs of ground deformation or any other indications of an imminent eruption aside from the earthquakes.