The danger posed by an eruption in mount Hekla is very real, and has increased considerably with growing air traffic over Iceland. A geologist at the University of Iceland points out that accidents have been narrowly avoided in the past and that we might not be as lucky in the future. Authorities, however, claim the risk is minimal.
A possible accident narrowly avoided in 1980
A possible accident was narrowly avoided when the volcano Hekla, which is one of the most active volcanos in Iceland, erupted in 1980. Skúli Brynjólfur Steinþórsson a pilot who was working at a Farm in Southern Iceland at the time tells local newspaper Morgunblaðið that he watched the ash plume rise from the volcano as a passenger jet was flying above.
“Just 20 to 25 seconds after the jet flew over Hekla, at an altitude of some 30,000 feet, the ash plume can be seen engulfing the jet‘s trail.“ Ash plumes from Hekla can rise to 33,000 feet. Páll Einarsson, professor of geology, who has been warning of the dangers of an eruption in Hekla, urges authorities to divert the flightpath of passenger jets so that they do not cross directly above the volcano.
Questions current safety measures
A large number of passenger jets pass straight over Hekla every day, both planes flying in and out of Keflavík airport and planes flying between North America and Scandinavia. Páll Einarsson believes the authorities should institute a no-fly zone over the volcano.
Morgunblaðið reports that the Transportation Authority and Isavia, which manages Kelavík airport, have responded to the warnings of Páll Einarsson by performing a new risk assessment, and that it will be completed by the end of summer. According to current rules a no-fly zone, with a radius of 111 kilometers from the mountain (69 miles) will be instituted immediately if seismological measurements indicate the volcano is changing its behaviour in ways that indicate a possible eruption. It is estimated that it would take 10-15 minutes to clear the airspace over Hekla. Páll has argued that in the case of an eruption in Hekla the ash plume might rise faster than this, posing unacceptable risks to air traffic.
The danger posed by an eruption in mount Hekla is very real, and has increased considerably with growing air traffic over Iceland. A geologist at the University of Iceland points out that accidents have been narrowly avoided in the past and that we might not be as lucky in the future. Authorities, however, claim the risk is minimal.
A possible accident narrowly avoided in 1980
A possible accident was narrowly avoided when the volcano Hekla, which is one of the most active volcanos in Iceland, erupted in 1980. Skúli Brynjólfur Steinþórsson a pilot who was working at a Farm in Southern Iceland at the time tells local newspaper Morgunblaðið that he watched the ash plume rise from the volcano as a passenger jet was flying above.
“Just 20 to 25 seconds after the jet flew over Hekla, at an altitude of some 30,000 feet, the ash plume can be seen engulfing the jet‘s trail.“ Ash plumes from Hekla can rise to 33,000 feet. Páll Einarsson, professor of geology, who has been warning of the dangers of an eruption in Hekla, urges authorities to divert the flightpath of passenger jets so that they do not cross directly above the volcano.
Questions current safety measures
A large number of passenger jets pass straight over Hekla every day, both planes flying in and out of Keflavík airport and planes flying between North America and Scandinavia. Páll Einarsson believes the authorities should institute a no-fly zone over the volcano.
Morgunblaðið reports that the Transportation Authority and Isavia, which manages Kelavík airport, have responded to the warnings of Páll Einarsson by performing a new risk assessment, and that it will be completed by the end of summer. According to current rules a no-fly zone, with a radius of 111 kilometers from the mountain (69 miles) will be instituted immediately if seismological measurements indicate the volcano is changing its behaviour in ways that indicate a possible eruption. It is estimated that it would take 10-15 minutes to clear the airspace over Hekla. Páll has argued that in the case of an eruption in Hekla the ash plume might rise faster than this, posing unacceptable risks to air traffic.
