Less ash, more lava: volcano eruption enters calmer phase, say scientists

Less ash, more lava: volcano eruption enters calmer phase, say scientists

The plume of volcanic ash produced by the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland is showing signs of subsiding, scientists have said, as aviation authorities announce plans to begin reopening British airspace.

Iceland's weather office said there was less ash in the cloud from the volcano and the plume was less than 1km high.

Helicopters operated by the national coastguard in Iceland have confirmed that lava has begun to flow in the volcano basin, suggesting the eruption is calming down.

The ash plume is caused by hot magma breaking through the Earth's crust and meeting ice, which turns into vapour and shoots upwards.

The sight of lava suggests much of the ice responsible for the plume has melted, meaning there is less explosive force pushing ash into the sky.

Kristin Vogfjord, a geologist at the Icelandic weather office, told the Guardian: "That's a good sign. It means there is probably less ice in contact with the magma, so it's not able to generate these explosions that spew ash all over Europe."

Icelandic forecasters are continuing to monitor the eruption. "It doesn't necessarily mean it's over," said Vogfjord. "We hope that it does but we can't be sure."

Andrew Hooper, a volcanologist at Delft University in the Netherlands, said: "There's still a lot of ice there, so depending on how the eruption develops more ice could come into contact with the magma again and we may see a resumption. It looks promising though. To see lava is good."

source: guardian.co.uk