Icelandic volcano paralyzed air traffic. Icelandic volcano paralyzed air traffic Icelandic volcano eruption

Eyjafjallajökull is a volcano in Iceland, located under the glacier of the same name, the name of which is able to pronounce only 0.005 percent of the world's population. In 2010, the small northern country of Iceland decided to remind Europeans of its existence. And she did it in such a way that the message could not be ignored.

Excessive activity of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano and a powerful release of ash into the atmosphere led to the cancellation of several tens of thousands of flights. This eruption can rightfully be considered one of the most remarkable events of the past year.

For two hundred years now, Eyjafjallajökull has been considered sound asleep. Its previous eruption was recorded between 1821 and 1823. - in two years, the volcano caused enormous damage to the surrounding area. However, Icelanders are accustomed to such disasters. There are several active volcanoes on the island, which periodically remind of their existence. So the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull did not panic the local population, on the contrary, provoked a real tourist boom. People from all over the world came to admire the impressive spectacle.

In fact, the volcano that attracted so much attention from tourists to Iceland did not even have its own name. Previously, the Eyjafjallajökull glacier was known, located 125 km from Reykjavik and hiding a conical volcano underneath. For simplicity, it began to be called by the same name. Eyyafyadlayokyudl in translation into Russian means literally "glacier of the island mountains." The height of the peak is 1666 meters, and the diameter of the crater, which has been hiding under the ice for many years, is 4 km.

Naturally, scientists were monitoring Eyjafjallajökull, but could not predict the full scale of the upcoming eruption. Much more attention of scientists has always attracted a volcano located 12 km to the east - Katla. In the 20th century, he was noted for his special activity. Consequently, it was popular with tourists visiting the island.

All types of travel are available to lovers of the exotic in Iceland: auto, walking, as well as helicopter tours by air. Only from above can one fully appreciate the power of volcanoes. In addition to evidence of the fiery breath of the Earth, Iceland is famous for its rivers, waterfalls and geysers. Acquaintance with them is included in the mandatory tourist program. At the foot of the Eyjafjallajökull glacier is the village of Skogar and the most visited waterfall in the country, Skogafoss on the Skougau River. Famous tourist routes pass by it, leading to the Fimmvurduhauls pass between the Eyjafjallajokull and Myrdalsjokull glaciers.

Photo of Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland.

Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption(also "Eyyafjadlayok at dl"; isl. Eyjafjallajokull) in Iceland began on the night of March 20-21, 2010 and took place in several stages. The main consequence of the eruption was the release of a cloud of volcanic ash, which disrupted air traffic in Northern Europe.

First eruption.

Since the end of 2009, seismic activity has increased in Eyjafjallajökull. Until March 2010, there were about a thousand tremors with a force of 1-2 points at a depth of 7-10 km under the volcano.

At the end of February 2010, GPS measurements conducted by the Icelandic Meteorological Institute in the region of the glacier recorded a movement of the earth's crust by 3 cm in a southeasterly direction. Seismic activity continued to increase and reached a maximum on March 3-5 (three thousand tremors per day).

Temperature map

About 500 local residents were resettled from the area around the volcano (since the intense melting of the glacier under which the volcano was located could cause flooding of the area). Keflavik International Airport (city of Keflavik) was closed.

On March 19, shaking began east of the northern crater at a depth of 4-7 km. Then the activity began to spread to the east and rise to the surface.

The volcanic eruption began on March 20, 2010 between 22:30 and 23:30 GMT. At that time, a 0.5 km long fault formed in the eastern part of the glacier (at an altitude of about 1000 m above sea level, in the direction from northeast to southwest). During the eruption, large ash emissions were not recorded, the cloud rose to a height of about 1 km.

On March 25, due to the water of the melted glacier that got into the crater, a steam explosion occurred in the crater, after which the eruption moved into a more stable phase.

On March 31, at about 19:00 (Icelandic time), a new fissure (0.3 km long) opened, which is located about 200 m northeast of the first one.

Second eruption.

Second eruption, view from the north, April 2, 2010

On April 13, around 23:00, seismic activity was recorded under the central part of the volcano, to the west of the two erupting fissures. About an hour later, a new eruption began on the southern edge of the central caldera. The ash column rose 8 km. A new fissure was formed about 2 km long (in the direction from north to south). Water from the active melting of the glacier flowed both north and south into inhabited areas. About 700 people were evacuated. During the day, melt waters flooded the highway, causing damage. Volcanic ash has been recorded in southern Iceland.

Trail of the volcanic eruption on April 15 in the area of high pressure over the Norwegian Sea. Aqua satellite image.

On April 15-16, the height of the ash column reached 13 km. When ash hits a height above 11 km above sea level, it enters the stratosphere with a possible transfer to considerable distances. The anticyclone over the North Atlantic contributed to a significant spread of the ash cloud in an easterly direction.

Trail of the volcanic eruption on April 15. Aqua satellite image.

On April 17-18, the eruption continued. The height of the ash column was estimated at 8-8.5 km, which means the cessation of the ingress of igneous material into the stratosphere.

Impact on air traffic in Europe.

On April 15, 2010, due to the high intensity of the eruption and the release of ash, air traffic was suspended in northern Sweden, Denmark, Norway and in the northern regions of the UK.

Due to the high concentration of volcanic ash in the air on April 15, 2010 (the ash cloud rose to a height of 6 km), all UK airports stopped their work from noon, and Danish airports were closed from 21:00 Moscow time. On April 15, 2010, between 5,000 and 6,000 flights were canceled across Europe.

At the same time, the airspace of Iceland itself and its airports remained open.

Flights to Europe from America and Asia (USA, China, Japan) were postponed indefinitely.

According to the calculations of the International Air Transport Association, the daily losses of airlines from flight cancellations amounted to at least 200 million USD.

The Association of European Airlines on April 19 called for an "immediate review of restrictions and bans" on flights in the airspace of the European Union. According to the results of test flights conducted by some European airlines, the ash does not pose a danger to air traffic. The International Air Transport Association has criticized European governments for their lack of thoughtfulness in imposing flight bans. " The European governments decided without consulting anyone and without adequately assessing the degree of risk,- said the head of ICAO Giovanni Bisignani. - It is based on theory, not facts.».

EU Transport Organization Director General Matthias Ruth said the flight ban was prompted by a computer program of dubious scientific value that simulates the spread of volcanic ash. He urged EU leaders to consider adopting US-style safety rules. " On the other side of the Atlantic, airlines would be given one piece of advice: don't fly over a volcano. Otherwise, all the necessary precautions would be left to be determined by the carriers themselves.”, said Matthias Ruth.

The volcanic eruption prevented the leaders of many heads of state from flying to the funeral of Polish President Lech Kaczynski and those killed in a plane crash near Smolensk on April 10, 2010.

Distribution of volcanic ash in Russia.

According to the Met Office, UK, as of 18:36 April 18, 2010, volcanic ash in Russia was recorded in the Kola Peninsula, in the south of the Central Federal District, parts of the Volga, Southern and North Caucasian federal districts, as well as in the north east of the Northwestern Federal District. St. Petersburg was on the border of the expected spread of ash, according to forecasts, the ash was supposed to reach the city on the night of April 18-19. Volcanic ash was not registered on the territory of Moscow, and its distribution was not expected in the next day (April 19).

According to other information, the first particles of volcanic ash reached Moscow on April 16, 2010. On the night of April 16-17, small particles of ash could be collected on a sheet of paper placed on the windowsill. The study of particles under a microscope showed the presence of fragments of plagioclase crystals and foamed volcanic glass.

Marina Petrova, director general of the meteorological agency Roshydromet, said on April 19 that Russian experts do not observe volcanic ash over the territory of Russia. Director of the Federal Information and Analytical Center of Roshydromet Valery Kosykh said that the data on ash over Russia is based on information from the London Volcanic Ash Tracking Center. “The main problem is that no one in Russia can measure the concentration of this ash,” he said.

Volcanic ash distribution patterns.

Ash cloud spread by April 17, 2010 18:00 UTC.

Ash cloud spread by April 19, 2010 18:00 UTC.

Ash cloud spread by April 21, 2010 18:00 UTC.

Ash cloud spread by April 22, 2010 18:00 UTC.

Impact on the environment.

When volcanoes erupt, huge volumes of aerosols and suspended particles are ejected, which are carried by tropospheric and stratospheric winds and absorb part of the solar radiation. The 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines threw so much ash to a height of 35 km that the average level of solar radiation decreased by 2.5 W / m 2, which corresponds to a global cooling of at least 0.5-0.7 ° C, but, according to IGRAN Deputy Director for Science Arkady Tishkov, “ something that went up in the air in Iceland until it even reached a volume of one cubic kilometer. These emissions are not as large as, for example, those that were noted as a result of recent eruptions in Kamchatka or Mexico.". He believes that the " this is a completely normal event.”, which may affect the weather, but will not cause climate change.

In the spring of 2010, the whole world watched the strongest eruption of the Icelandic volcano with the unusual and fabulous name Eyjafyatlayokudl. It has become one of the most powerful in the modern history of mankind, scientists are still discussing the consequences of this natural phenomenon.

Iceland

This island state is often called the ice kingdom, it is located between Greenland and Norway in close proximity to the Arctic Circle. The main part of Iceland is located on a volcanic plateau, so earthquakes and eruptions are common here. Despite the geographical position, the climate in the region is by no means arctic, but moderately cool, with strong winds and high humidity.

Despite the harsh nature, very positive and friendly people live here. Icelandic hospitality is known all over the world. Every year, thousands of tourists come to these harsh lands to get acquainted with the unique nature and, of course, see the most famous volcano in Iceland - Eyjafjallajokull. After 2010, the flow of those wishing to observe this wonder of the world with their own eyes has increased markedly.

Historical reference

Iceland is located at the junction of two continental plates, the Eurasian and North American, and is considered the country with the largest number of geothermal sources, lava fields, ice and volcanoes. There are more than a hundred of them, and twenty-five are active. The most popular volcanoes among tourists are Laki and Hekla, they have almost a hundred craters and are a unique sight.

But in 2010, the whole world learned about another attraction of Iceland - the Eyjafjallajokull volcano. Photos of lava erupting from under the glacier spread all over the world's news feeds, perhaps this event would not have had such popularity in the media if it were not for the problems with air travel that arose in most of Europe.

Eyyafyatlayokudl belongs to the stratovolcanoes, the cone of which is formed by layers of hardened lava and rock left there after numerous eruptions. Officially, this is not a volcano, but a glacier, the sixth largest on the island, it is located 125 kilometers from the capital of Iceland, Reykjavik. The height of the peak is 1666 m, the area of the volcanic crater is 3-4 km, until 2010 it was hidden under a thick layer of ice. The previous eruption of the Eyjafyatlayokudl volcano took place from 1821 to 1823, and for two hundred years it was considered dormant.

Preceding circumstances

Almost a year before the main events, the glacier was already showing signs of high activity. In 2009, at a depth of seven kilometers, scientists noticed seismological shocks of 1-2 points. They continued for several months, and even a shift of the cortex by 3 cm was recorded.

The activity of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano worried the authorities of the region, they took the necessary measures to resettle local residents, and the nearest airport was also closed. First of all, people were afraid of flooding, since the glacier could begin to melt under the influence of the earth's heat.

Scientists have long observed activity in this area, so the victims were avoided. In total, more than 800 people left the disaster area. After the research, the possibility of flooding was ruled out and some residents returned to their homes.

Chronicle of events

On March 20, 2010, the Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano erupted late in the evening. From the fault that appeared in the glacier, smoke and ash poured out, the first emissions were small and did not reach a height of more than one kilometer. After five days, the activity dropped significantly. The reason was that melted water poured into the vent and partially extinguished the hearth.

But on March 31, a new crack formed, and for several days lava flowed abundantly from two holes at once. As it turned out, this was just the beginning. On April 13, the Icelandic volcano Eyjafyatlayokudl once again shook from tremors, as a result of which a new crack appeared at a distance of 2 km, and a column of smoke rose to a height of eight kilometers. On April 15 and 16, this figure was already 15 km, and volcanic ash reached the stratosphere, from where substances are already spreading over long distances.

Shutdown of flights in Europe

The Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull will go down in history in the 21st century thanks to the large-scale consequences of its eruption. Due to his activity, air traffic was suspended in dozens of countries. Companies suffered losses, thousands of passengers huddled in airport terminals and in the homes of caring people.

The events in Iceland have had a major impact on the revision of some of the laws and regulations governing air travel in such situations. Many companies said that a computer program that calculates the risks of flying in the ash spread zone is doubtful, and they also accused the heads of European countries of deliberately inflating the problem and helplessness in making important decisions.

Consequences

In addition to economic damage, the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland has caused serious damage to the environment. In the first three days, about 140 million cubic meters of dust were released into the atmosphere. During the eruption, together with particles of earth rocks, ash, a huge amount of suspended particles or aerosols are thrown into the air. The danger of such a substance is that it quickly spreads over a long distance and has a detrimental effect on the composition of the atmosphere, absorbing part of the solar radiation.

Although geophysicists and meteorologists did not support the general panic that flared up on the pages of some newspapers. According to scientists, the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull was not so powerful that emissions could somehow cause climate change, at most - affect the weather. So, long and thick clouds were observed many thousands of kilometers from the island, even in Russia.

Ash spread

The course of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano eruption was recorded from space, and daily meteorological services made a forecast of the movement of the dust cloud. In mid-April 2010, ash covered more than half of Europe and some regions of Russia. Officially Rosgidromettsentr did not confirm the assumption that particles of dust and volcanic matter reached the territory of our country. True, eyewitnesses claim that the ashes could be easily detected using a sheet of paper placed on the windowsill.

The ejected dust was a fine-grained flying tephra, part of which settled near the vent and on the glacier, but the main mass rose into the air. However, experts assured the public that the gases released into the atmosphere do not pose a serious threat to humans.

Only almost a month after the start of the events, the media of all countries reported that the Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano had finally ceased its activity. The eruption of 2010 was remembered primarily not for its uniqueness, because this happens all the time on earth, but for the increased attention to this event in the news and newspapers.

The Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland, whose photo appeared on the covers of many publications seven years ago, has a special history. Such a complex name comes from the combination of three words at once, denoting a mountain, a glacier and an island. And in fact, the name belongs to the glacier, under which there was a volcano for a long time. In connection with the events of 2010, linguists from different countries became interested in the origin and meaning of the toponym, trying to determine the exact meaning of the word.

After the hype around the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano subsided, the scientific world started talking about another possible problem that could lead to much greater consequences. We are talking about Mount Katla, which is located just 12 km from the epicenter of the underground explosion in 2010. Research by geophysicists confirms that each previous activity of Eyyafyatlayokudl preceded the eruption of the much more powerful and destructive Katla volcano. Therefore, scientists have suggested that the events of seven years ago may be the beginning of a more grandiose catastrophe in the future.

There are many more places in this region where nature can surprise you. So, a few hundred kilometers away is the only active volcano in Norway. Eyyafyatlayokudl and Berenberg (translated as "Bear Mountain") are similar in structure and physical data. The northernmost volcano in the world was also considered extinct for a long time, but in 1985 a strong eruption was recorded.

Reflection in culture

Today, the story of seven years ago on the distant island of Iceland has been somewhat forgotten, but at the same time this event made a strong impression on many, because it’s not every day you can see a real volcano erupting live on air. Society reacted differently to the event. Videos appeared on the Internet in which people tried to pronounce an unusual name, and the people composed jokes on this topic.

The National Geographic Channel made a documentary about the events of the spring of 2010, and some feature films are related to the Icelandic volcano, for example, the French film Passion Volcano and some episodes of the American film The Walter Mitty Story.

Perhaps the sweetest note in the craze for the Icelandic natural phenomenon was made by a native of this country, singer Elisa Geirsdottir Newman. She composed a provocative song about Eyjafyatlayokudl, which helps to learn how to pronounce the exotic name correctly.

Volcanoes are frightening and attract a person to them. For centuries they can sleep. An example is the recent history of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano. People cultivate fields on the slopes of fiery mountains, conquer their peaks, build houses. But sooner or later, the fire-breathing mountain will wake up, bringing destruction and misfortune.

It is the sixth largest glacier in Iceland, located in the south, 125 km east of Reykjavik. Under it and partly under the neighboring Myrdalsjökull glacier, a conical volcano hides.

The height of the top of the glacier is 1666 meters, its area is about 100 km². The volcanic crater reaches a diameter of 4 km. Five years ago its slopes were covered with glaciers. The nearest settlement is the village of Skougar, located in the south of the glacier. From here the Skogau river starts, with the famous Skogafoss waterfall.

Eyyafyatlayokudl - the origin of the name

The name of the volcano comes from three Icelandic words that mean island, glacier and mountain. Perhaps that is why it is so difficult to pronounce and hard to remember. According to linguists, only a small part of the inhabitants of the Earth can pronounce this name correctly - Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano. Translation from Icelandic sounds literally like "island of mountain glaciers."

Volcano without a name

As such, the phrase "volcano Eyyafyatlayokudl" entered the world lexicon in 2010. This is funny, considering that in fact, a fire-breathing mountain with that name does not exist in nature. Iceland has many glaciers and volcanoes. There are about thirty of the latter on the island. At 125 kilometers from Reykjavik, in the south of Iceland, there is a fairly large glacier. It was he who shared his name with the volcano Eyyafyatlayokudl.

It is under it that there is a volcano, which for many centuries has not come up with a name. He is unnamed. In April 2010, he alarmed the whole of Europe, for some time becoming a world newsmaker. In order not to name it in the media, it was proposed to name it by the name of the glacier - Eyyafyatlayokudl. In order not to confuse our readers, we will call it the same.

Description

Eyjafjallajokull is a typical stratovolcano. In other words, its cone is formed by numerous layers of solidified mixture of lava, ash, stones, etc.

Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano has been active for 700,000 years, but since 1823 it has been categorized as dormant. This suggests that no eruptions have been recorded since the beginning of the 19th century. The state of the Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano did not cause particular cause for concern for scientists. They found that it had erupted several times over the past millennium. True, these manifestations of activity could be classified as calm - they did not pose a danger to people. As evidenced by the documents, the latest eruptions were not distinguished by large emissions of volcanic ash, lava and hot gases.

Irish volcano Eyyafyatlayokudl - the story of one eruption

As already mentioned, after the eruption in 1823, the volcano was recognized as dormant. At the end of 2009, seismic activity intensified in it. Until March 2010, there were about a thousand tremors with a force of 1-2 points. This disturbance occurred at a depth of about 10 km.

In February 2010, employees of the Icelandic Meteorological Institute, using GPS measurements, recorded a displacement of the earth's crust by 3 cm to the southeast in the region of the glacier. Activity continued to grow and reached its maximum by March 3-5. At this time, up to three thousand shocks per day were recorded.

Waiting for the eruption

From the danger zone around the volcano, the authorities decided to evacuate 500 local residents, fearing flooding of the area, which could cause an intense covering of Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano. Keflavik International Airport was closed as a precaution.

Since March 19, the tremors have moved to the east of the northern crater. They were tapped at a depth of 4 - 7 km. Gradually, the activity spread further to the east, and shaking began to occur closer to the surface.

At 23:00 on April 13, Icelandic scientists recorded seismic activity in the central part of the volcano, west of the two cracks that had formed. An hour later, a new eruption began in the south of the central caldera. A column of hot ash rose 8 km.

Another crack appeared, more than 2 kilometers long. The glacier began to actively melt, and its waters flowed both north and south into populated areas. 700 people were urgently evacuated. During the day, meltwater flooded the highway, the first destruction occurred. Volcanic ash has been recorded in southern Iceland.

By April 16, the ash column had reached 13 kilometers. This caused alarm among scientists. When the ash rises above 11 kilometers above sea level, it enters the stratosphere and can be carried over long distances. The spread of ash in an easterly direction was facilitated by a powerful anticyclone over the North Atlantic.

Last eruption

This happened on March 20, 2010. On this day, the last volcanic eruption in Iceland began. Eyjafjallajokull finally woke up at 23:30 GMT. A fault formed in the east of the glacier, the length of which was about 500 meters.

At this time, no large ash emissions were recorded. On April 14, the eruption intensified. It was then that powerful emissions of gigantic volumes of volcanic ash appeared. In this regard, the airspace over part of Europe was closed until April 20, 2010. Occasionally, flights were limited in May 2010. Experts estimated the intensity of the eruption on the VEI scale at 4 points.

Dangerous Ash

It should be noted that there was nothing outstanding in the behavior of the Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano. After seismic activity that lasted several months, a rather calm volcanic eruption began in the region of the glacier on the night of March 20-21. It was not even mentioned in the press. Everything changed only on the night of April 13-14, when the eruption began to be accompanied by the release of a gigantic volume of volcanic ash, and its column reached a great height.

What caused the air transport collapse?

It is worth recalling that since March 20, 2010, an air transport collapse has loomed over the Old World. It was associated with a volcanic cloud, which was created by the suddenly awakened Eyyafyatlayokudl volcano. It is not known where this mountain, silent since the 19th century, gained strength, but gradually a huge cloud of ash, which began to form on April 14, covered Europe.

More than 300 airports across Europe have been paralyzed since airspace was closed. The volcanic ash also caused a lot of anxiety to Russian specialists. Hundreds of flights have been delayed or completely canceled in our country. Thousands of people, including Russians, were waiting for an improvement in the situation at airports around the world.

And the cloud of volcanic ash seemed to play with people, changing the direction of movement daily and completely “did not listen” to the opinions of experts who reassured desperate people that the eruption would not last long.

Geophysicists from the Icelandic weather service told RIA Novosti on April 18 that they were unable to predict the duration of the eruption. Mankind prepared for a protracted "battle" with the volcano and began to count considerable losses.

Oddly enough, but for Iceland itself, the awakening of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano did not have any serious consequences, except, perhaps, for the evacuation of the population and the temporary closure of one airport.

And for continental Europe, a huge column of volcanic ash has become a real disaster, of course, in the transport aspect. This was due to the fact that volcanic ash has such physical properties that are extremely dangerous for aviation. When it enters the aircraft turbine, it is able to stop the engine, which will undoubtedly lead to a terrible disaster.

The risk to aviation is greatly increased due to the large accumulation of volcanic ash in the air, which significantly reduces visibility. This is especially dangerous when landing. Volcanic ash can cause malfunctions in the operation of on-board electronics and radio equipment, on which flight safety largely depends.

Losses

The Eyjafjallajokull volcano eruption brought losses to European travel companies. They claim that their losses exceeded $ 2.3 billion, and the damage that hit the pocket every day was approximately $ 400 million.

Airlines' losses were officially estimated at $1.7 billion. The awakening of the fiery mountain affected 29% of the world's aviation. Every day more than a million passengers became hostages of the eruption.

The Russian Aeroflot also suffered. During the closure of air lines over Europe, the company did not perform 362 flights on time. Her losses were in the millions of dollars.

Expert opinions

Experts say that the volcanic cloud really poses a serious danger to aircraft. When an aircraft hits it, the crew notes very poor visibility. On-board electronics work with big interruptions.

The resulting glassy "shirts" on the engine rotor blades, clogging of the holes that are used to supply air to the engine and other parts of the aircraft, can cause their failure. The captains of the airships agree with this.

Volcano Katla

After the activity of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano faded, many scientists predicted an even more powerful eruption of another Icelandic fiery mountain - Katla. It is much larger and more powerful than Eyyafyatlayokudl.

For the last two millennia, when man watched the eruptions of Eyyafyatlayokudl, Katla also exploded after them at intervals of six months.

These volcanoes are located in the south of Iceland, at a distance of eighteen kilometers from each other. They are connected by a common underground system of magma channels. The Katla crater is located under the Myrdalsjokull glacier. Its area is 700 sq. km, thickness - 500 meters. Scientists are sure that during its eruption, ash will fall into the atmosphere ten times more than in 2010. But fortunately, despite the menacing forecasts of scientists, Katla has not yet shown signs of life.

Eyjafjallajökull volcano has woken up in Iceland after a 200-year "hibernation". The eruption began on March 21, 2010 and was so powerful that a state of emergency was declared in the country and hundreds of residents of nearby settlements were evacuated.
On April 14, a new eruption began, accompanied by the release of a huge amount of ash into the atmosphere. The next day, a dozen European countries were forced to completely or partially close their airspace - in particular, flights were canceled at the airports of London, Copenhagen and Oslo.

Eyjafjallajokull means "Island of Mountain Glaciers". The volcano is located 200 kilometers east of Reykjavik between the Eyjafjallajokull and Mirdalsjokull glaciers. These are the largest ice caps in the south of the northern island country, covering active volcanoes.

The Eyjafjallajökull volcano is a conical glacier, the sixth largest in Iceland. The height of the volcano is 1666 meters. The diameter of the crater is 3-4 kilometers, the glacial cover is about 100 square kilometers.

Iceland lies on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where volcanic eruptions occur quite frequently. Almost all types of volcanoes found on Earth are represented in this country. Ice caps and other glaciers cover an area of 11,900 square kilometers.

Since many volcanoes in Iceland are covered with glaciers, they often melt them from below. The tongues of the glaciers break away from their places, releasing millions of tons of water and ice, which demolish everything in its path.

It is from these fears that such serious security measures were taken in Iceland after the awakening of Eyjafjallajökull in 2010. In particular, after its March eruption, traffic on nearby roads was stopped and residents were evacuated. Local authorities feared that the volcanic lava would melt the glacier and cause severe flooding.

However, after the research, experts came to the conclusion that the eruption does not pose a threat to local residents. A few days later, the authorities allowed people to return to their homes.

Volcanologists were able to approach the crater at a distance of several meters and film the eruption on camera, they saw that the crack from which the lava comes out has a length of about 500 meters. In addition, the shooting was carried out from the air. The set was published on the popular YouTube video portal.

Icelandic scientists have been watching the volcano for a long time, looking for signs of seismic activity. In their opinion, the eruption may last another year or even two. The last eruption of Eyjafjallajökull was recorded in 1821. Then it lasted until 1823 and caused a threatening melting of the glacier. In addition, due to the high content of fluorine compounds (fluorides) in its emissions, a threat to health, namely the bone structure of people and livestock, has been created.

If the current eruption continues for as long, the airspace over Europe will have to be periodically closed and opened, depending on the activity of the volcano, warns Professor Bill McGuire, an expert at the Center for the Study of Natural Disasters at University College London.

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