Volcanic eruption pierces glacier; emergency services on full alert
Flood fears as eruption melts glacier
Flights cancelled due to ash clouds
Immense clouds of volcanic steam, ash and smoke continue to bellow from a 6 km long rift which opened in Vatnajökull glacier in south Iceland early yesterday morning.
Mushroom-like columns of volcanic material were seen soaring as high as 5 km above the northeast corner of the glacier, the largest in Europe.
A series of explosions also sent clouds of steam soaring 500 metres into the sky.
The eruption, which has forced its way through a section of 450 metre thick glacial ice, has spewed a cloud of ash which meteorologists forecast will drift over much of east Iceland today.
Scientists warned earlier this week that a series of sub-glacial earthquakes recorded over the weekend could be the prelude to a major eruption. Prime Minister Davíd Oddsson yesterday called an emergency meeting with his Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Communications and the heads of Iceland's Civil Defence, Coast Guard and Meteorological Office.
Oddsson gave emergency services' chiefs the go-ahead to take whatever action necessary to protect infrastructure installations threatened by the eruption, provided no lives were put at risk.
Glacial waters produced by the Vatnajökull eruption pose a serious flood threat to a huge swath of land in south Iceland.
The heat of the sub-glacial eruption is melting an immense volume of ice which then runs south into Grímsvötn, a large lake buried under the glacier. When the lake is full the water actually lifts the glacier and overflows into the surrounding countryside, usually into the sandy flatlands of Skeidarársandur on Iceland's south coast.
Scientists estimate that water has been flowing into Grímsvötn at a rate of 5,000 cubic metres per second, and that a major flood is imminent. It has also been forecast that the expected flood could reach a highwater rate of 20,000 cubic metres per second.
A stretch of Iceland's main ringroad crosses Skeidarársandur and will most likely be impassable should Grímsvötn flood. Iceland's largest bridge is also in Skeidarársandur.
Icelandair flights to north Iceland were cancelled yesterday afternoon because of volcanic ash clouds caused by the Vatnajökull glacier eruption.
An airline spokesman said airborne ash is damaging to airplane engines and poses a serious danger to flight safety. Icelandair added that the eruption would most likely lead to delays and cancellations to today's scheduled domestic services.