Perilous
Times
Katla, one of the largest volcanoes in Iceland, appears to
be preparing for a long overdue eruption, scientists say.
by Staff Writers
Reykjavik, Iceland (UPI) Oct 16, 2011
Katla, one of the largest volcanoes in Iceland, appears to be
preparing for a long overdue eruption, scientists say.
The volcano has a history of erupting about twice a century. With
its last eruption having come in 1918, 93 years ago, it is well
behind schedule.
Volcano experts point to signs like an increasing number of small
earthquakes in the area around Katla, The Daily Telegraph of
London reported. One quake last week hit magnitude 4 on the
Richter scale.
David Rothery of Britain's Open University said the volcano is at
least as likely to subside as to erupt. He described volcanoes as
unpredictable.
"These things do not just ramp up, they come in pulses. By this
time next week there might be lots of earthquakes and the volcano
might be swelling," he added.
Katla is in southern Iceland, north of the coastal town of Vik i
Myrdal. It is partly covered by a glacier and its last eruption
caused major flooding.
The eruption of the neighboring Eyjafjallajokul last year sent an
ash cloud into the air that disrupted air traffic over the
Atlantic Ocean for weeks. Airlines lost an estimated $1.6 billion
because of canceled or re-routed flights.