Fire & Ice: Volcanic ash creates chaos yet again
A year after Iceland's Eyjafjoell volcano erupted sending European air traffic for a toss, the country's Grimsvotn volcano is set to repeat the story
In this photo taken on Saturday, May 21, 2011, smoke plumes from the Grimsvotn volcano, which lies under the Vatnajokull glacier, about 120 miles, (200 kilometers) east of the capital, Rejkjavik, which began erupting Saturday for the first time since 2004. Iceland closed its main international airport and canceled domestic flights Sunday as a powerful volcanic eruption sent a plume of ash, smoke and steam 12 miles (20 kilometers) into the air. (AP Photo/Jon Gustafsson) ICELAND OUT
The European Union says ash from an Icelandic volcano could soon affect the airspace over Britain and Ireland. It was not immediately clear whether flights to and from affected areas would be disrupted. The EU says the ash could enter British and Irish airspace in a day or two.
Spokeswoman Helen Kearns noted that differences in the nature and size of the ash cloud meant that "we are far from where we were a year ago", when an Icelandic volcanic disrupted much of the air traffic over Europe.
The plume is not expected to affect trans-Atlantic flights, whose eastbound and westbound tracks are located south of the projected path of the ash.
In April 2010 Iceland's Eyjafjoell volcano erupted, spewing a massive cloud of ash that caused the planet's biggest airspace shutdown since World War II with more than 100,000 flights cancelled and eight million passengers stranded.
This satellite image provided by NASA and acquired Sunday May 22, 2011 shows the plume of dense ash from the Grimsvotn volcano in Iceland as it casts a shadow to the west.
In this photo taken on Saturday, May 21, 2011, smoke plumes from the Grimsvotn volcano, which lies under the Vatnajokull glacier, about 120 miles, (200 kilometers) east of the capital, Rejkjavik, which began erupting Saturday for the first time since 2004.
The plume from the volcano was bearing down on Scotland and set to disrupt flights there as early as Monday night, May 23, 2011, Britain's Met Office said. (AP Photo/NASA)
Iceland closed its main international airport and canceled domestic flights Sunday as a powerful volcanic eruption sent a plume of ash, smoke and steam 12 miles (20 kilometers) into the air.
This satellite image provided by NASA and acquired Sunday May 22, 2011 shows a plume of dense ash from the Grimsvotn volcano in Iceland towards the upper center of the frame. The plume from the volcano was bearing down on Scotland and set to disrupt flights there as early as Monday night, May 23, 2011, Britain's Met Office said. (AP Photo/NASA)
A plane is seen against a sunset over Kensington Palace in London, Monday, May, 23, 2011. A dense cloud of ash from an Icelandic volcano was being blown toward Scotland Monday, forcing two airlines to cancel their flights, U.S. President Barack Obama to cut short his visit to Ireland and carriers across Europe to fear a repeat of the huge disruptions that stranded millions of passengers a year ago. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Sunset is seen over Kensington Palace in London, Monday, May, 23, 2011. A dense cloud of ash from an Icelandic volcano was being blown toward Scotland Monday, forcing two airlines to cancel their flights
A rescue team is seen near to Kirkjubaearklaustur, approx. 260 km from Reykjavik, Iceland, Monday, May 23, 2011. A dense cloud of ash from an Icelandic volcano was being blown toward Scotland Monday, forcing two airlines to cancel their flights, U.S. President Barack Obama to cut short his visit to Ireland and carriers across Europe to fear a repeat of the huge disruptions that stranded millions of passengers a year ago.
A rescue team is seen near to Kirkjubaearklaustur, approx. 260 km from Reykjavik, Iceland, Monday, May 23, 2011.
Vehicles are covered in ash near to Kirkjubaearklaustur, approx. 260 km from Reykjavik, Iceland, Monday, May 23, 2011.
A farmer's footprint is seen in the ash near to Kirkjubaearklaustur, approx. 260 km from Reykjavik, Iceland
A member of a rescue team checks on a farmer near to Kirkjubaearklaustur, approx. 260 km from Reykjavik, Iceland, Monday, May 23, 2011.
Farmers Thormar Eller and Henny Hrund go to check their livestock as an ash cloud is seen in background, near Kirkjubaearklaustur, approx. 260 km from Reykjavik, Iceland
In this photo made from TV U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle walk past a guard of honour after arriving at Stansted Airport, London, late Monday, May 23, 2011. Obama is in London well ahead of schedule after concerns over an ash cloud spreading from a volcano in Iceland sped up his travel plans. Obama had planned to spend Monday night in Dublin and travel to London on Tuesday morning. But White House officials say the ash cloud changed course, forcing Obama to leave the Irish capital early.
In April 2010, volcanic eruptions at Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull disrupted air travel for nearly a week across Northern Europe. Here, the Northern Lights are seen above the ash plume of Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano in the evening.
People look at Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano in April 2010.
Ash spews from Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano.
Steam, rocks and ash are thrown out of Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano April 19, 2010.
Lightning and lava can be seen as Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupts after dark April 17, 2010. Picture taken April 17, 2010.
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