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Topics: Science, Technology
Rhianna Benson
Topics: Science, Technology
A state of emergency has been declared as an Icelandic volcano is set to erupt within days, and now unnerving audio offers further evidence it's ready to blow.
Icelanders have been bracing for a colossal volcanic eruption, with the town of Grindavik evacuated as a precaution.
Fagradalsfjall volcano is expected to blow in the coming days, and this could subsequently result in the release of toxic fumes and trigger widespread disruption.
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The country has declared a state of emergency, with seismic activity ramping up in the area, and has ordered an investigation.
And members of the public have been given the opportunity to listen to what this unnerving rumbling underground actually sounds like.
A state of the art app has the ability to transform these seismic frequencies into audible pitches
Earthtunes - the app developed by Northwestern University - is able to turn the familiar squiggly lines picked up across a page into something that can instead be heard.
Spectators have described this audio phenomenon as both 'exciting and scary', as that area of the frequently snow-covered island is hit by hundreds of earthquakes on a regular basis.
Some of the sounds are similar to that of a door slamming, while others resemble the audio caused by hail pelting a tin roof or window.
The sound of people cracking ice trays can also be heard, according to researchers working in the area.
"The activity is formidable, exciting and scary," Northwestern seismologist Suzan van der Lee told press.
Van der Lee - who also co-developed Earthtunes app - went on: "Iceland did the right thing by evacuating residents in nearby Grindavik and the nearby Svartsengi geothermal power plant, one of the world's oldest geothermal power plants, which was the first to combine electricity generation with hot water for heating in the region."
Several clips of the audio have since been trending across social media, including the video above, which contains sounds from within a 24 hour period.
These sounds also reveal how the activity has already intensified around the Fagradalsfjall area within a matter of hours.
"What you're hearing is 24 hours of seismic data — filled with earthquake signals," van der Lee said.
"The vast majority of these quakes are associated with the magma intrusion into the crust of the Fagradallsfjall-Svartsengi-Grindavik area of the Reykjanes Peninsula."
Just under 5,000 people have already been forced out of their homes in the town of Grindavik due to its proximity to the Fagradalsfjall volcano on the Reykjanes peninsula.
The popular Blue Lagoon tourist attraction has also been closed.