Could new Icelandic volcano cause more travel disruption than 2010?

Katla is close to the small Icelandic town of Vik. Photo: PA

Recent seismic activity at a volcano in Iceland has experts warning there could be an eruption that causes more travel disruption than back in 2010.

Seismologists are monitoring movement beneath the volcano called Katla - reportedly a far bigger threat to air-traffic than the Eyjafjallajokul volcano, which caused flight fiascos across Europe that cost airlines £1.3 billion.

Small earthquakes and tremors around Katla have reportedly been growing in magnitude, moving up from level 3 tremors to a magnitude 4 quake last week, leading seismologists to warn an eruption could be on its way.

Records have shown that Katla usually has a large eruption twice a century, with its last being almost exactly 93 years ago.

Einar Kjartansson, a geophysicist at the Icelandic Meteorological Office, told the Daily Mail:

We've been getting calls recently from people concerned that Katla is about to erupt because it erupted... in 1918 on October 12.
'As scientists we don't see that much of a correlation in the date but there is most definitely increased activity. The question is whether it calms down after this or whether there is an eruption.'

Back in May, the Grimsvotn volcano in Iceland caused a small amount of disruption, but was nothing compared to the ash cloud of 2010.

See the Daily Mail report for more details



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