Iceland's Grimsvotn volcano erupts May 21, 2011. The eruption at Grimsvotn has so far hit only Iceland, which closed its international airspace.Jon Gustafsson—Reuters
Iceland’s most active volcano started erupting Saturday — just over a year after another eruption on the North Atlantic island shut down European air traffic for days. Iceland’s Meteorological Office confirmed that an eruption had begun at the Grimsvotn volcano, accompanied by a series of small earthquakes. Smoke could be seen rising from the volcano, which lies under the uninhabited Vatnajokull glacier in southeast Iceland.
Grimsvotn last erupted in 2004. Scientists have been expecting a new eruption and have said previously that this volcano’s eruption will likely be small and should not lead to the air travel chaos caused in April 2010 by ash from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano.
-Associated Press
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Video courtesy Jon Gustafsson.
The Grimsvotn volcano has forced the closure of Icelandic airspace and spread fears of a repeat of the global travel chaos that was caused by last year's Icelandic eruption. Ash spews from the volcano, May 23, 2011.Jon Magnusson—Getty ImagesA dead lamb lies in an ash covered field close to Kirkjubaearklaustrur, May 24 2011.Brynjar Gauti—APVolcanic ash is spewed into the sky by the Grimsvotn volcano in Iceland, May 23, 2011.Jon Magnusson—Getty ImagesThe Grimsvotn volcano sends thousands of tons of volcanic ash into the sky above Iceland, May 23, 2011.Jon Magnusson—Getty ImagesVolcanic ash consumes the village of Kirkjubaejarklaustur, Iceland, May 23, 2011.Vilheldm Gunnarsson—EPAIceland's Grimsvotn volcano erupts May 21, 2011. The eruption at Grimsvotn has so far hit only Iceland, which closed its international airspace.Jon Gustafsson—ReutersA farmer leads a horse through a cloud of ash from the Grimsvotn volcano, May 22, 2011.Vilhelm Gunnarsson—AFP/Getty ImagesA cloud of smoke and ash is seen over Iceland's Grimsvotn volcano, May 21, 2011.AFP/Getty ImagesAn aerial view shows the eruption of Grimsvotn volcano in the southeast of Iceland, May 21, 2011. Iceland closed its main international airport following the eruption, aviation authorities said.Egill Steinsson—EPASmoke plumes from the Grimsvotn volcano May 21, 2011. The volcano, which lies under the Vatnajokull glacier about 120 miles east of Iceland's capital, Rejkjavik, began erupting Saturday for the first time since 2004.Jon Gustafsson—APSmoke rises from the Grimsvotn volcano, May 21, 2011. Grimsvotn started erupting Saturday, just over a year after another eruption on the North Atlantic island shut down European air traffic for days.Halldora Kristin Unnarsdottir—APA photographer at the edge of the ash fallout zone in Reykjavik, May 22, 2011.Iceland's Grimsvotn volcano erupts May 21, 2011. The eruption sent a plume of ash, smoke and steam 12 miles into the air.Jon Gustafsson—APSmoke plumes from the Grimsvotn volcano, May 21, 2011. The Icelandic Meteorological Office said prevailing winds suggested the ash cloud would blow north and not affect mainland Europe.Jon Gustafsson—APFarmers round up a flock of sheep amid a cloud of ash pouring out of the erupting Grimsvotn volcano, May 22, 2011.Vilhelm Gunnarsson—AFP/Getty ImagesA plane flies past a plume of ash from the eruption of the Grimsvotn volcano, May 21, 2011.Olafur Sigurjonsson—Reuters
