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Current situation not comparable to Eyjafjallajökull eruption

By Kolbeinn Tumi Daðason
Icelandair spokesman Guðjón Arngrímsson says that Icelandair has received numerous queries from passengers over the situation.
Icelandair spokesman Guðjón Arngrímsson says that Icelandair has received numerous queries from passengers over the situation.
"We see no signs that flight schedules will be disrupted, so far everything looks fine," says Icelandair spokesman Guðjón Arngrímsson. Ongoing magma movement in Bárðarbunga for the past four days have raised questions of possible flight disruptions between Iceland and Europe.

Guðjón says that Icelandair has received numerous queries from passengers over the situation, though there has been no abnormal increase in passenger cancellations.

"The story is being covered worldwide. People are naturally concerned about their flight plans," Guðjón states. The Eyjafjallajökull eruption in 2010, along with its disruption of flights all across Europe, are still fresh in people's minds.

"People think this will be a similar eruption", says Guðjón. While people are expecting another Eyjafjallajökull scenario, the truth is that circumstances are completely different than four years ago.

"Among the many things that have changed is the available research data, as well as the methods employed by scientists to measure the effects of the eruption, like ash density. All of this is different than what was available during the Eyjafjallajökull eruption," Guðjón adds. "Even if an eruption of a similar magnitude were to occur now, we would be far less concerned about it than we were four years ago."


Tengdar fréttir

Activity in Bárðarbunga volcano

Over the last seven years seismic activity has been gradually increasing in Bardarbunga and the fissure swarm north of the volcano.

2800 earthquakes in three days

Of these around 950 have occured since midnight today. Several of these events were larger than magnitude 3.

"There is full reason to expect an eruption"

The seismic activity in Bardarbunga on the Vatnajokull glacier is very powerful and therefore full reason to expect a volcanic eruption according to a specialist at The Icelandic Meteorological Office. A live webcam has been placed in the vicinity of Bardarbunga.






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