Iceland shuts main airport after volcano sends ash plume 12 miles high

Omar Valdimarsson
Reuters
May 22, 2011

(REYKJAVIK) – Ash from a massive plume of smoke from an eruption of Iceland’s most active volcano could spread south to parts of Europe next week, but experts Sunday still hoped the impact on air travel would be limited.

The eruption at Grimsvotn has so far hit only Iceland, which closed its international airspace. A thick cloud of ash blocked out the daylight at towns and villages at the foot of the glacier where the volcano lies and covered cars and buildings.

The eruption is much stronger than at a volcano further south last year which closed European airspace for six days.

Airlines were told Sunday during a conference call with weather experts and officials responsible for European airspace to brace for a possible further spread of ash later in the week.

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This article was posted: Sunday, May 22, 2011 at 12:56 pm

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