Between 20 and 30 passenger jets fly straight over the volcano Hekla each day, despite the warnings of an Icelandic geologist who believes an eruption could cause an accident.
The most active volcano in Iceland
Páll Einarsson, a professor of geology at the University of Iceland wrote to the Icelandic Transportation Authority, a year ago, warning that passenger jets should be diverted away from the volcano. Hekla is the most active volcano in Iceland, erupting on average once every ten years. The Transportation Authority believes there is no danger. Páll told the local newspaper Morgunblaðið that the risk should be taken seriously.
“Airplanes flying straight above the volcano are in danger if they fly into the ash plume. An eruption in Hekla does not need to melt its way through a thick glacier, so the plume will immediately rise with full force and climb ten kilometres (33,000 feet) into the upper levels of the atmosphere.”
Authorities believe the risk is minimal
Kolbrún Guðný Þorsteinsdóttir, at the Icelandic Transportation Authority, believes the risk is minimal, arguing that the likelihood of Hekla erupting is small, and that passenger jets fly at an altitude of 30,000 feet, which she argues is high enough above the mountain to avoid any ash.
Páll rejects these arguments, and points out that not only is the risk very real, it is extremely simple to eliminate it. The path of airplanes only needs to be shifted five kilometres (3 miles) from the volcano.
Between 20 and 30 passenger jets fly straight over the volcano Hekla each day, despite the warnings of an Icelandic geologist who believes an eruption could cause an accident.
The most active volcano in Iceland
Páll Einarsson, a professor of geology at the University of Iceland wrote to the Icelandic Transportation Authority, a year ago, warning that passenger jets should be diverted away from the volcano. Hekla is the most active volcano in Iceland, erupting on average once every ten years. The Transportation Authority believes there is no danger. Páll told the local newspaper Morgunblaðið that the risk should be taken seriously.
“Airplanes flying straight above the volcano are in danger if they fly into the ash plume. An eruption in Hekla does not need to melt its way through a thick glacier, so the plume will immediately rise with full force and climb ten kilometres (33,000 feet) into the upper levels of the atmosphere.”
Authorities believe the risk is minimal
Kolbrún Guðný Þorsteinsdóttir, at the Icelandic Transportation Authority, believes the risk is minimal, arguing that the likelihood of Hekla erupting is small, and that passenger jets fly at an altitude of 30,000 feet, which she argues is high enough above the mountain to avoid any ash.
Páll rejects these arguments, and points out that not only is the risk very real, it is extremely simple to eliminate it. The path of airplanes only needs to be shifted five kilometres (3 miles) from the volcano.
