Sunday, March 21, 2010

Volcano Eruption under a Glacier in Iceland

Eyjafjallajokul is a volcanic glacier that erupted on March 20th very late in the evening. It is located about 100 miles to the east of Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. This volcano has erupted several times over the past millennium, the last being about 200 years ago. Since this volcano sits underneath a large glacier, heat from the lava is likely to cause massive ice and snow melt which could lead to flooding in surrounding areas. About 500 people have been evacuated.

There is another volcano on the island know as Katla that may be possibly linked to Eyjafjallajoku. Katla is a short distance away, and a larger volcano. According to Geophysicist Páll Einarsson, there is a chance that these two are connected since eruptions of each have happened in sequence in the past. So there is a chance that Katla may now erupt soon.

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