Iceland Braced for Volcano Eruption That Could Disrupt Air Traffic

Iceland has raised its aviation alert level to orange. On the five-color scale, orange is the second most serious level, indicating an active or imminent eruption.

APTN/AP Photo

PHOTO: Ash rises from Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokul volcano in this file photo, May 8, 2010.

In April 2010, volcano eruptions rocked Eyjafjallajökull, a small ice cap in Iceland, leading to more than 100,000 flights canceled. More than 10 million passengers were affected due to the eruption and the airline industry lost $2 billion.

Lucas Jackson/Reuters

PHOTO: Lava and ash explode out of the caldera of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano in this file photo, April 22, 2010.

Volcano eruptions are a threat to jetliners because the volcanic ash can travel high into the atmosphere and the ash can severely damage jet engines.

Some 3,000 earthquakes have taken place since Saturday in Bardarbunga, a subglacial stratovolcano located under Iceland’s largest glacier.

The Icelandic Meteorological Office’s live update said there are no signs of magma moving to the surface at the moment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: ABC NEWS