2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull

In 2010 the Eyjafjallajökull volcano, under an ice cap in southern Iceland, erupted twice, first in March in a lava eruption on the flank at Fimmvörðuháls and then from mid-April from the central crater beneath the glacier. The meltwater from the ice caused the magma to fragment into very fine ash, which was carried by wind over Europe. Because the ash can damage jet engines, authorities closed much of European airspace for several days, causing the largest disruption to air travel since the Second World War and stranding millions of passengers. Floods affected local farms, and the eruption also affected the farmers near the volcano. It ended in the following months.

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