Volcanic KATLAstrophe?

One of Iceland’s most dangerous volcanoes, Katla, has been stirring in the last few days and volcanologists think it could be the next volcano to bring European air travel to a standstill. Jon Frimann, an Icelandic volcanologist, said: “When an eruption might start is still a mystery.”

The beautiful geysers, bubbling hot springs, and impressive volcanoes that make Iceland a tourist hot-spot have also proved to be a source of frustration for holidaymakers. Powerful volcanic eruptions, in 2010 and 2011, closed UK airspace and stranded thousands of passengers abroad. And it looks like it could happen all over again as another volcano shows signs of life.

On October 5, the ground beneath the Katla volcano in southern Iceland, began to shake from a series of tremors. Geologists have linked this earthquake swarm to the movement of magma beneath the volcano. Activity at the ice-covered volcano has increased throughout the summer with numerous earthquakes and at least two glacial floods. These dangerous glacial outbursts, or jokulhlaups, are thought to be caused by hot volcanic rock melting part of the Myrdalsjokull ice cap above. Despite the earthquake activity Erik Klemmetti, geoscientist at Denison University, said: “So far, there is no indication of a new eruption or flood, but it does show that things are still very active under the ice at Katla.”

When the unpronounceable Eyjafjallajokul volcano erupted in April 2010, it released 250 million cubic meters of ash into the atmosphere, causing havoc with air travel. UK air space was shut for 6 days, 107,000 flights across Europe were cancelled and the airline industry was reported to have lost over £1bn. Many criticised the aviation industry and UK government of being under-prepared and over safety conscious. The worry is that an eruption from Katla could cause even more damage.

Many believe the volcano, which erupts roughly every 80 years, is overdue for an eruption.  The last time Katla awakened in October 1918, the eruption lasted for nearly a month and produced three times more material than Eyjafjallajokul. The resulting ash devastated crops and livelihoods across Iceland. Even this pales in comparison to the huge eruption of 934AD which produced more than 23 billion cubic metres of material, and led to severe winters across northern Europe.

The movement of molten rock beneath the surface of the volcano does not always indicate an eruption will occur. Jon Frimann explained: “Magma can go on the move at any time, without any warning at all. So monitoring Katla is important.” If an eruption does occur we can only hope that lessons have been learned from Eyjafjallajokul in 2010.