--- title: 'Iceland Volcano – Eyjafjöll (April 14, 2010)' url: 'https://grav.alicesastroinfo.com/blog/iceland-volcano-eyjafjoll-april-14-2010' markdown: 'https://grav.alicesastroinfo.com/blog/iceland-volcano-eyjafjoll-april-14-2010.md' date: '2010-04-15' description: "Eyjafjallajökull's ash plume in April 2010 from NASA's Earth Observatory The Eruptions Eyjafjallajökull has been active in the last few days. Dr. Erik Klemetti of Eruptions blog has a great write up. Go listen to him. Also, Jorge Santos has the best picture of the ash. Most recently, on 4/1…" taxonomy: category: - 'AstroInfo Article' - "You Need To Know - but Everyone Else's Already Posted It" tag: - Earth - Geology --- # [Iceland Volcano – Eyjafjöll (April 14, 2010)](https://grav.alicesastroinfo.com/blog/iceland-volcano-eyjafjoll-april-14-2010) 15th Apr 2010 [Earth](https://grav.alicesastroinfo.com/tag:Earth#body-wrapper) [Geology](https://grav.alicesastroinfo.com/tag:Geology#body-wrapper) [![](https://grav.alicesastroinfo.com/user/pages/blog/iceland-volcano-eyjafjoll-april-14-2010/Eyjafjallajokull.jpg "Eyjafjallajokull")](https://grav.alicesastroinfo.com/user/pages/blog/iceland-volcano-eyjafjoll-april-14-2010/Eyjafjallajokull.jpg)Eyjafjallajökull's ash plume in April 2010 from NASA's Earth Observatory ## The Eruptions Eyjafjallajökull has been active in the last few days. [Dr. Erik Klemetti of Eruptions blog has a great write up](http://scienceblogs.com/eruptions/2010/04/threat_of_icelandic_ash_closes.php). Go listen to him. Also, Jorge Santos has the best [picture of the ash](http://scienceblogs.com/eruptions/assets_c/2010/04/_D705160-thumb-400x266-47050.jpg). Most recently, on 4/14/2010 (or 14-4-2010 if you’re not in the US): > After a few days of quiet in Eyjafjallajökull volcano, a new and much more forceful eruption has begun west of Fimmvörðuháls, under the ice-cap. > > The eruption is below the highest peak of Eyjafjallajökull, at the southern rim of the caldera. > > A plume rises at least 8 km into the air. No lava is seen yet but melt-water flows both north and south of the mountain. > > -Iceland Meteorologic Office > > At 2300 on 13 April, a seismic swarm was detected below the central part of Eyjafjöll, W of the previous eruption fissures. About an hour later, the onset of seismic tremor heralded an eruption from a new [vent](http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/images/pglossary/vent.php) on the S rim of the central caldera, capped by Eyjafjallajökull glacier. The eruption was visually confirmed early in the morning on 14 April; an eruption plume rose at least 8 km above the glacier. Meltwater flowed to the N and S. News outlets reported that a circular ice-free area about 200 m in diameter was seen near the summit. Scientists conducting an overflight saw a new 2-km-long, N-S-trending fissure, and ashfall to the E. About 700 people were ordered to evacuate the area, and certain flights were banned from flying N and E of the eruption area. Flooding increased throughout the day, causing road closures and some structural damage. > > -Institute of Earth Sciences ## The Volcano Eyjafjöll is also known as Eyjafjallajökull. It’s a strato volcano – so more of a pointy volcano (like Mount Vesuvius), less of a flat volcano (like Hawai’i). Eruptions from strato volcanoes are often more powerful and spread more ash and less lava. Near Seattle the Cascades have many strato volcanoes: Mount Rainier, Mount Saint Helens, Crater Lake, Shasta, etc. ## Good places for more information? [The volcano itself](http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=1702-02%3D) (from the Global Volcanism Program). [The eruption on 4/14/2010](http://en.vedur.is/about-imo/news/2010/nr/1865) (from the Iceland Meteorological Service) [News from the Iceland Meteorological Service](http://en.vedur.is/) [USGS Worldwide Volcanic Activity Report](http://www.volcano.si.edu/reports/usgs/) [NASA’s Earth Observatory](http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php) Photographs from Space ![](https://grav.alicesastroinfo.com/user/pages/blog/iceland-volcano-eyjafjoll-april-14-2010/Mars.png)~ A l i c e ! --- ## Navigation - Previous: [Ice on Mars! Umm… duh…](https://grav.alicesastroinfo.com/blog/ice-on-mars-umm-duh.md) - Next: [Icon Competition!](https://grav.alicesastroinfo.com/blog/icon-competition.md)