Status Report: 19:00 GMT, 21 May 2010

Kilde: Icelandic Meteorological Office and Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland

Compiled by: Sigþrúður Ármannsdóttir, Matthew J. Roberts, Teitur Arason, Bergþóra S. Þorbjarnardóttir, Magnús Tumi Guðmundsson and Gunnar Sigurðsson.

Based on: Observations from inspection flight at 6 PM, IMO seismic monitoring; IESIMO GPS monitoring; IMO hydrological data; IMO weather radar measurements, web cameras, ATDnet – UK Met. Offices lightning detection system, NOAA satellite images and web-based ash reports from the public.

Eruption plume:

Height (a.s.l.): Observation from inspection flight and other pilot reports show that the plume is at a height of 3-3.5 km/10,000-12,000ft. Plume is blown towards northeast and later northwest by light southerly winds.

Heading: Northeast at first and later northwest.
Colour: Light grey, with a small amount of ash.
Tephra fallout: No reports of ashfall today.

Reports from Neðri-Þverá and Hlíðarendakot in Fljótshlíð of bluish gas in Fljótsdalur and along the hillsides in some sort of clouds, smelling of rot (causing people headaches when dark in colour).

Lightning: No lightning strikes have been detected since 13h, yesterday.
Noises: No reports.

Meltwater:

Small discharge from Gígjökull. A water gauge is being installed in Kaldaklif River today.

Conditions at eruption site:

The eruption rate has declined a great deal and the weak plume rises from the western part of the crater. No real explosions and no lava flowing from the crater.

Seismic tremor:

Volcanic tremor levels have decreased since yesterday evening. However, they rose for two hours this morning, but have since continued to decrease.

Earthquakes:

Over twenty earthquakes have been recorded since midnight, the majority at shallow depths.

GPS deformation:

Continued horizontal displacements toward the centre of Eyjafjallajökull volcano. Irregular oscillations in the vertical component of stations closest to the volcano.

Overall assessment:

The eruption has declined a great deal and the flow of magma into the crater can be roughly estimated as 5 tonnes/s, carried away by a plume that rises 1.5-2 km above the creater. No lava flowing.