Iceland volcano disrupts global air travel by Magdalena Rosova

A volcanic eruption in Iceland has intesified, the eruption under the Eyjafjallajokull glacier has already thrown up a 6-km long plume of ash and it has also disrupted air traffic. The volcano is now active more than 40 hours and it does not seem that it is going to stop. According to Pall Einarsson, a geophysicist at the University of Iceland, the intensity of the eruption seemed to be growing. In consequence, a third of the glacial ice that covers the crater has melted and caused floods in the nearby area. However, the floods are now easing and people living in the neighborhood of volcano are returning into their homes. The volcano has erupted also last month, but! this eruption was 10 times more powerful. Both eruptions were parts of the same event though. A thick layer of ash has covered thousand of hectares of land eat of the volcano. In some areas the cloud of ashes was so strong that the sun was not visible. The cloud of ash further caused disruption in air travel all over northern Europe. There is a possible risk that planes' engine could suck ash from the volcanic cloud and that would cause serious damage. Scientist were closely observing the signs of increasing seismic activity in Iceland and had been expecting an eruption from last summer. The last huge eruption in Iceland was in 1996 when there was an eruption under the Grimsvotn lakes which caused big flooding. Ejfjallajokull glacier is the fifth biggest glacier in the country and since ninth century when Iceland was settled it has erupted five times.

related story (sgx17017): http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/! 04/15/wo rld/main6397745....

by Magdalena Rosova for Cantell TV (http://cantell.tv)

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