Iceland raises alert level, warning of possible volcanic eruption
| REYKJAVIK, Iceland
Iceland's Met Office聽on Monday raised its risk level to the aviation industry for an eruption at its Bardarbunga volcano to orange, which is the fourth level on a five-grade scale.
Ash from the eruption of聽Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano in 2010 shut down much of聽Europe's airspace for six days, affecting more than 10 million people and costing $1.7 billion.
The warning comes amid swarms of earthquakes that have taken place since Saturday in Bardabunga 鈥� a subglacial stratovolcano located under聽Iceland's聽largest glacier.
Scientists said Monday there are two scenarios: one is an explosion outside the Vatnajokull glacier, leading to minor ash emissions and troubles locally.
The second possibility is an eruption occurring inside the glacier. Seismologist Martin Hensch says the latter could lead to ash being sent high into the atmosphere.
Met聽Office seismologist聽Martin Hensch聽said the risk of any disruptive ash cloud similar to the one in 2010 would depend on how high any ash would be thrown, how much there would be and how fine-grained it would be.
Bardarbunga is聽Iceland's largest volcanic system, located under the ice cap of the Vatnajokull glacier in the southwest of聽Iceland. It is in a different range to Eyjafjallajokull.
The聽Met聽Office said in a statement it measured the strongest earthquake in the region since 1996 early on Monday and it had now strong indications of ongoing magma movement.
"As evidence of magma movement shallower than 10 km implies increased potential of a volcanic eruption, the Bardarbunga aviation color code has been changed to orange," it said.
"Presently there are no signs of eruption, but it cannot be excluded that the current activity will result in an explosive subglacial eruption, leading to an outburst flood and ash emission."
The color codes, which are in accordance with recommended聽International Civil Aviation Organization聽procedures, are intended to inform the aviation sector about a volcano's status.
Hensch said the biggest risk in聽Iceland聽itself was from flood waves from any eruption under the glacier. He said the area of聽Iceland聽mainly at risk of flooding was mostly uninhabited but that roads in the area had been closed.
Eurocontrol, the聽Brussels-based agency responsible for co-ordinating European airspace, said in a statement it was aware the聽Icelandic Met Office聽had revised the status of the volcano and it was following the situation closely.
