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Iceland: A Clouds of Ash Over Europe

April 15, 2010

The eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano is a violent natural event that has drawn thousands of tourists to Iceland. But the huge cloud of ash is now proving a danger to the country's inhabitants and air traffic.

https://p.dw.com/p/Mq5G
Image: flickr/Daniel Örn
The volcano, which lies around 200 kilometers east of Reykjavik, erupted for the first time in 200 years. The wave of glowing lava it released caused the ice in a nearby glacier to melt, which in turn forced the evacuation of local residents due to the danger of flooding. Air traffic in some parts of Europe also came to a standstill as airspace over some countries closed. The tiny particles of ash can cause airplane turbines to fail.
Vulkanausbruch auf Island Flash-Galerie
Image: AP