New potential Iceland volcanic eruption could dwarf 2010 Eyjafjallajokul disaster

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London, Oct 14: Seismologists have warned that an eruption could be on the cards at the Katla volcano in Iceland and it could even be more powerful than the eruption of Eyjafjallajokul.

Experts, who are watching rumblings beneath Katla, claim that the volcano could spew an ash cloud dwarfing the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajokul, which cost airlines 1.27 billion dollars and paralysed air traffic.

Katla has a much larger magma chamber than Eyjafjallajokul, which blasted ash all over Europe for several weeks last year, and its last major eruption in 1918 continued for more than a month, starving crops of sunlight and killing livestock.

According to seismologists, clusters of small earthquakes have been detected around Katla, which have been growing in strength too, and after a long period of magnitude three tremors, a magnitude four quake was detected last week.

“It is definitely showing signs of restlessness,” Mr Einarsson, a professor of geophysics at the University of Iceland, said.

Officials have drafted an evacuation plan and set aside temporary housing in case the calamity takes place, but many fear they may have less than an hour to evacuate once the volcano erupts. (ANI)