Iceland Volcano Eruption at Eyjafjallajokull Glacier

The latest Iceland volcano eruption near the Eyjafjallajokull glacier has caused Iceland to declare a state of emergency in communities near the 100 square mile glacier. The last time the volcano erupted was in the 1820s.

Eyjafjallajokull glacier is the fifth largest in Iceland. Authorities initially said the eruption was below the glacier, triggering fears that it could lead to flooding from glacier melt, but scientists conducting an aerial survey in daylight located the eruption and said it did not occur below ice.

“The eruption is a small one,” said Agust Gunnar Gylfason, a risk analyst at the Civil Protection Department.

“An eruption in and close to this glacier can be dangerous due to possible flooding if the fissure forms under the glacier,” he said. “That is why we initiated our disaster response plan.”

[via]