Volcanic eruption in Iceland seems to be over

The Grimsvotn Lakes eruption in Vatnajokull glacier in Iceland seems to be over. Volunteers from the general public, unpaid rescue team workers, as well as the minister of tourism have joined hands to help the local people in a cleanup operation.

The eruption in Grimsvotn Lakes started Saturday, May 21, and produced more ash in only a couple of days than the infamous Eyjafjallajokull’s much longer eruption in 2010. This time, however, the ash was not as fine grained and did not spread as much as in last year‘s eruption, which is particularly good news for the aviation and tourism industries.

Iceland‘s international airport in Keflavik, 35 miles from the capital city Reykjavik, was closed one day as a safety precaution. In hindsight, it may not have been necessary to close the airport as the ash cloud did not reach it. Aviation authorities in Europe had better information this time on which to base airport closures than during last year‘s eruption. The experience gained from last year’s eruption avoided a repeat aviation chaos across Europe.

Ash is being cleaned from roads, village streets, residences, and institutions in the affected area south of the volcano.

The summer tourist season is under way and tourists have returned to the area.

First published on eTurboNews.

Reykjavik Bike Tours

Iceland eruption frightful for tour operators

The eruption which started in Grimsvotn Lakes in Vatnajokull glacier in the southeast of Iceland about 350 km from Reykjavik on Saturday night reminds many of last year's eruption in Eyjafjallajokull.

“It’s a frightful situation for us and the tourism industry in Iceland,” said Rannveig Gretarsdottir, the CEO of Elding Whale Watching Company in Reykjavik, “We’re at the start of the tourist season, and I am afraid that the eruption will physically, or mentally, discourage foreign tourists from visiting the country. All we can hope for at this stage is that the eruption ends soon and for flights to return back to normal.”

“In our first year, we dealt with the banking crisis, in the second year, we dealt with the eruption in Eyjafjallajokull, and now, in our third year, we get to deal with another eruption,” said Ursula Spitzbart, the CEO of Reykjavik Bike Tours, “These are trying times for us in the bicycle tour business, as well as everyone else in Iceland involved in tourism.”

Last year’s eruption in Eyjafjallajokull started on March 20 and petered out in May. Visitor numbers compared to the previous year dropped by 20 percent in April and May due to cancellations and disruptions of flights. The end result for visitor numbers in 2010 was on par with 2009, which was a record year.

It is difficult to predict how long an eruption can last. The last eruption in Grimsvotn Lakes in Vatnajokull was in 2004 and lasted for a week. There have been several eruptions in Grimsvotn Lakes in the last decades, and they have all been relatively short lived. An eruption in 1873 lasted 7 months, but intensity was relatively low during that time. After a forceful start to this eruption, it started to show reduced activity on day 2 (Sunday).

This article was written by Stefan Helgi Valsson, first published on eTurboNews 23 May 2011.

Icalandair cancels flights due to volcanic eruption

An eruption started in Grímsvötn lakes in Vatnajokull glacier yesterday evening. The eruption is on a 500-800 meter long fissure, or cauldron, according to geophysicist Magnus Tumi at the University of Iceland.

Sources quoted in the local media say this eruption is much more powerful than the infamous eruption in Eyjafjallajokull which took place from March through May last year. This said, it is likely not to cause as much trouble to aviation as the eruption in Eyjafjallajokull.

The asp plume has already risen to 20 km above sea level, 4 km higher than in the Eyjafjalljokull eruption last year. However, the ash is grainier which probably means that it won’t travel as far as the ash from Eyjafjallajokull. Latest reports say the eruption is waning.

Iceland’s international airport in Keflavik, 35 miles from Reykjavik and 200 miles away from the eruption, is closed – some say unnecessarily because there is no ash in the area yet.

The airport’s closure caused Icelandair to cancelled flights to Iceland this afternoon from Amsterdam, Paris, London, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo, Helsinki, Bergen/Stavanger. As a result flights from Iceland to Copenhagen, London, Stockholm, Oslo, Washington, Toronto, New York and Boston are cancelled.

During last year’s eruption flights were redirected to Akureyri airport in the north of Iceland and Icelandair moved its hub to Glasgow in Scotland. No decision of this kind has been made for the present eruption yet.

Everyone in Iceland is safe and there is no immediate threat to human lives.

Volcanic eruption in Iceland

A volcanic eruption started in Iceland Saturday night 21 May 2011.

This time the eruption is in Eyjafjallajokull glacier - Europe's largest glacier.

The eruption is about 350 km away from Reykjavik and there is no sign of ash yet in the capital city of Iceland.

Flights are expected to be diverted, in fact Icelandair has cancelled all fligths to the country in the afternoon but all its planes managed to leave the country this morning with out problems.

Eyjafjallajokull eruption which started 20 March 2010 and lasted until May the same year caused great problems for avaiation.

This eruption is the largest of 23 eruptions that Omar Ragnarsson, the volcano newsreporter expert formerly at the State Television and Radio, has ever seen.

The ash plume rises 20 km in the air, 4 km higher than the ash plume from the Eyjafjallajokull eruption. This said, the ash is not as fine as in Eyjafjallajokull eruptions which means it will probably not travel as far.

The effects of the eruption is difficult to predict but it is certain that it will have immediate effect on air travel in Iceland this afternoon.

There is no danger to people, buildings or bridges at this stage.

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