As Iceland braces itself for a potentially devastating eruption, memories of the 2010 Eyjafjallajokull volcano that brought European air travel to a standstill are springing to mind.
The eruption, which began causing trouble on April 14, sent a vast plume of ash soaring into the sky six miles high.
Winds spread the ash across much of northern Europe, grounding planes that could not fly through the dusty atmosphere, leading to the largest air-traffic shutdown since World War Two.
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The disruption lasted more than a week, leaving around 10 million travellers unable to get to or from their destination – Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles had to conduct his show from New York having been on holiday in the US before the eruption.
German airline Lufthansa was the last company to resume flights, taking to the skies again on Thursday, April 22.
However, even after all that time, most people still struggled to pronounce the volcano’s name – AY-uh-fyat-luh-YOE-kuutl.
The eruption itself actually began in March of that year, and was relatively small. However, the drama started as the eruptions spread to the centre of the volcano, which was covered in ice.
As melting water poured into the magma below, it rapidly cooled it, so instead of flowing out as lava, it transformed into the jagged ash particles that were then spewed high into the air by steam from the eruption – and you know what happened next.
In the years since, and for millennia before, volcanoes have erupted on the island of Iceland, although none caused such widespread chaos.
How many volcanoes are there in Iceland?
Sat on top of both the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and a hot spot, Iceland is subject to a double-whammy of volcanic activity.
There are 132 volcanoes scattered across the country, meaning those living on the island are rarely far from an eruption – either in time or space.
Will the November 2023 Iceland volcano eruption affect flights?
While another eruption is imminent, Iceland’s main airport, Keflavik International Airport, is still open despite being just 10 miles away, with flights taking off and landing throughout the last week as the volcano has been rumbling away.
Airlines are continuing to sell flights to the country, including to Keflavik, from less than £80 return.
Although the eruption has not yet hit, experts suggest it is unlikely to cause as much disruption as Eyjafjallajokull because of the different type of activity.
Timeline of Iceland’s volcanic eruptions
1963-1967: Surtsey
Yes, that’s a four-year eruption, the result of which was a brand new island for Iceland.
An undersea volcano began belching out tephra – rock fragments and particles – and lava, which cooled and solidified, forming the island Surtsey, named after Surtr, a mythological Norse fire giant.
After the eruptions stopped the island quickly became home to plant and animal life, but is already shrinking due to erosion by the waves.
1973: Eldfell volcano
Locals on the Westman Islands got a surprise on January 23, 1973, when the Eldfell volcano erupted with no warning.
However, Iceland is still well-prepared for sneak eruptions, and evacuations were complete within a few hours – although sadly one person lost their life.
The eruption continued until July, ejecting so much lava and ash that the island increased in size by more than two square kilometres. Unfortunately, the sheer volume of ash also buried hundreds of homes, but most were later excavated and residents were able to return.
1977-1981: Krafla volcano
A long one, but not the most destructive. Over four years the Krafla volcano spewed out lava across the landscape, dubbed the ‘Krafla fires’.
The eruptions were accompanied by numerous earthquakes. However, the slow-moving lava created quite a visual spectacle, and people flocked to see the eruptions – while the national news station also televised them.
2000: Hekla volcano
This year marks the most recent eruption of Hekla, but it was not a particularly memorable one.
However, the volcano deserves special mention for having been dubbed ‘the entrance to hell itself’ in the Middle Ages following a devastating eruption in 1104.
2010: Eyjafjallajokull volcano
The notorious Eyjafjallajokull eruption. Enough said.
2011: Grimsvotn volcano
Grimsvotn is Iceland’s most active volcano, erupting 70 times in the last 1,000 years.
In 2011 it set off again, blasting out a huge plume of ash 12 miles high – higher than Eyjafjallajokull.
However, this caused less travel disruption due to the composition of the ash and weather at the time, meaning local residents were most inconvenienced as the ash fell back to Earth over their homes and cars.
2014-2015: Bardarbunga volcano
Stretching 125 miles across the east of Iceland, Bardarbunga is Iceland’s largest volcanic system.
In 2014, magma travelling along Bardarbunga set off the eruption of the Holuhraun fissure – and it didn’t stop for three months.
The amount of lava released was the greatest seen in Iceland since the eruption of the Laki system in 1783.
2021: Fagradalsfjall volcano
The eruption of Fagradalsfjall, which began on March 19, was the first in 800 years for the volcano.
It has remained active since, and is this system that threatens Iceland today.
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