Iceland's Grimsvotn volcano erupting - Iceland's most active volcano has started erupting, scientists said 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.
A no fly zone has been designated for 120 nautical miles (220 kilometers) in all directions from the eruption. Isavia, the company that operates and develops all airport facilities and air navigation services in Iceland, described this as standard procedure around eruptions. 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. History shows that previous eruptions in Grimsvotn have not had much influence on flight traffic - unlike the massive disruption caused last year. Whether widespread disruption occurs again will depend on how long the eruption lasts, how high the ash plume rises and which way the wind blows.
In November, melted glacial ice began pouring from Grimsvotn, signaling a possible eruption. That was a false alarm but scientists have been monitoring the volcano closely ever since.The volcano also erupted in 1998, 1996 and 1993. The eruptions have lasted between a day and several weeks.
I'll go upstairs and check.**
M. C. Escher
LARGEST QUAKES -
A number of quakes yesterday, but as expected, the monster world-ending one didn't happen.
Tons of small aftershocks in Turkey still continuing since Thursday's 5.8 there.
This morning -
5.0 TAIWAN
Yesterday -
5/21/11 -
5.0 KEPULAUAN BARAT DAYA, INDONESIA
5.5 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.0 BANDA SEA
5.7 KERMADEC ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND
5.3 LUZON, PHILIPPINES
5.0 EASTERN NEW GUINEA REG., P.N.G.
5.0 NORTHERN ALASKA
5.1 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
5.9 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
5/20/11 -
5.7 EASTERN NEW GUINEA REG., P.N.G.
5.0 KURIL ISLANDS
5.3 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.7 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
