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Iceland volcano: Eruption under ice-cap sparks red alert | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Iceland has issued a red alert to aviation after indications that a volcano has erupted under the country's biggest glacier, the Vattnajokull. | |
The Icelandic Met Office warned that a small eruption had begun under the Dyngjujokull ice cap. | |
Seismic activity is continuing at the Bardarbunga volcano, about 30km away. | |
Airspace over the site has been closed, but all Icelandic airports currently remain open, authorities say. A Europe-wide alert has also been upgraded. | |
European air safety agency Eurocontrol said it would produce a forecast of likely ash behaviour every six hours. | |
Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted in 2010, producing ash that severely disrupted air travel. | |
The red alert is the highest warning on the country's five-point scale. | The red alert is the highest warning on the country's five-point scale. |
Flooding threat | Flooding threat |
The Icelandic Met Office said a team of scientists was flying across the region on Saturday afternoon to monitor seismic activity. | The Icelandic Met Office said a team of scientists was flying across the region on Saturday afternoon to monitor seismic activity. |
"The eruption is considered a minor event at this point," police said in a statement. | "The eruption is considered a minor event at this point," police said in a statement. |
"Because of pressure from the glacier cap, it is uncertain whether the eruption will stay sub-glacial or not." | "Because of pressure from the glacier cap, it is uncertain whether the eruption will stay sub-glacial or not." |
Virgin Atlantic said it had rerouted a flight from London to San Francisco away from the volcano as a precautionary measure. | Virgin Atlantic said it had rerouted a flight from London to San Francisco away from the volcano as a precautionary measure. |
It said its other flights "continue to operate as normal". | It said its other flights "continue to operate as normal". |
British Airways said it was keeping the situation "under close observation", but that its flights were continuing to operate normally for now. | British Airways said it was keeping the situation "under close observation", but that its flights were continuing to operate normally for now. |
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said there would be no impact on flights unless there was an actual eruption. | The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said there would be no impact on flights unless there was an actual eruption. |
Bardarbunga and Dyngjujokull are part of a large volcano system hidden beneath the 500-metre (0.31-mile) thick Vatnajokull glacier in central Iceland. | |
Authorities have previously warned that any eruption could result in flooding north of the glacier. | |
On Wednesday, authorities evacuated several hundred people from the area over fears of an eruption. | On Wednesday, authorities evacuated several hundred people from the area over fears of an eruption. |
The region, located more than 300km (190 miles) from the capital Reykjavik, has no permanent residents but sits within a national park popular with tourists. | The region, located more than 300km (190 miles) from the capital Reykjavik, has no permanent residents but sits within a national park popular with tourists. |
The move came after geologists reported that about 300 earthquakes had been detected in the area since midnight on Tuesday. | The move came after geologists reported that about 300 earthquakes had been detected in the area since midnight on Tuesday. |
The Eyjafjallajokull eruption in April 2010 caused the largest closure of European airspace since World War Two, with losses estimated at between 1.5bn and 2.5bn euros (£1.3-2.2bn). | The Eyjafjallajokull eruption in April 2010 caused the largest closure of European airspace since World War Two, with losses estimated at between 1.5bn and 2.5bn euros (£1.3-2.2bn). |
Criticism following the strictly enforced shutdown resulted in the CAA relaxing its rules to allow planes to fly in areas with a low density of volcanic ash. | Criticism following the strictly enforced shutdown resulted in the CAA relaxing its rules to allow planes to fly in areas with a low density of volcanic ash. |