The eruption of Eyjafjallajökull at Fimmvörðuháls Pass in Iceland

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The eruption of Eyjafjallajökull at Fimmvörðuháls Pass in Iceland

Seismic activity that started at the end of 2009 was the first indicator that the volcano below Iceland’s famous Eyjafjallajökull glacier may be close to erupting. Then on March 20, 2010, at the north section of Fimmvörðuháls, the 14-mile-long hiking trail near the glacier, the eruptions began. A fissure vent opened and lava bubbled up to the surface. A larger eruption in April 2010 centered around the glacier itself, throwing a gigantic cloud of smoke and ash into the air that disrupted air travel across Europe for six full days.