Eyjafjallajökulluitbarsting

Eyjafjallajökull is a stratovolcano in Iceland, located north of and inside the ice cap of the same name. The volcano is one of the smaller ice-capped volcanoes in Iceland. The most recent eruption began on March 20, 2010, after approximately 180 years of inactivity. This eruption was relatively small in terms of the volume of material ejected.

However, the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in 2010 gained significant global attention due to its impact on air travel. The fine ash particles ejected into the atmosphere were carried by prevailing winds across Europe. These ash particles, when ingested by jet engines, can cause them to fail. Consequently, large parts of European airspace were closed for several days, disrupting thousands of flights and causing widespread travel chaos.

The volcano's name, Eyjafjallajökull, is a compound word from Icelandic: Eyja meaning "island," fjalla meaning "mountains," and jökull meaning "glacier." Thus, it translates to "glacier of the island mountains." The 2010 eruption sequence involved a period of effusive lava flows followed by explosive phreatomagmatic activity, where volcanic magma interacted with glacial meltwater. The ash plume reached altitudes of up to 9 kilometers. Recovery efforts and the analysis of the eruption's effects on aviation systems became a major focus in the aftermath.