Iceland volcano erupts quietly below the ice

Nature : Although Iceland’s Bardarbunga volcano has started erupting, the eruption is taking place 150–400 m under the ice, and there have been no visible changes on the surface. Since mid-August, intense seismic activity in the area prompted the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) to raise the aviation alert because of the possibility that ash and smoke from an eruption could disrupt air traffic. As of this weekend, when magma began to flow under the ice, the alert was heightened to red, the highest warning, but so far there has been little disruption to air travel. The area is being monitored from the air by scientists with the IMO and the University of Iceland and on the ground through the placement of additional seismic instruments and mobile radar observation stations.