Europe in a State of alert for the ashes of Icelandic volcano of clouds

REYKJAVIK  - an eruption by the most active volcano of the Iceland was created to keep closed Monday, while other European nations have watched for any impact on their routes of an imposing plume of smoke and ash from the main airport of the island.

Experts have said that they saw little chance of a repeat of the closure of six days of the year last of airspace, which also has transatlantic flights, when another Icelandic volcano erupted, although airlines were warned drift towards the new ash cloud.

So far, Iceland, particularly towns and villages to the South and is the Grimsvotn volcano, have suffered most. Day turned to night when a thick ash cloud descended on the region, stifling cars and buildings.

The cloud also began to drift on the Reykjavik capital by late Sunday evening and the civil aviation authority, said the reopening of the main international airport Monday prospects were not good.

Organization of Europe air traffic control warned on its website that the ash could extend to the South.

"Ash cloud should reach North Scotland on Tuesday, May 24." If volcanic emissions continue with the same intensity, cloud could reach west French air space and the Spain of the North on Thursday, May 26, "he said in a bulletin of traffic."

The Iceland Meteorological Office, said the plume from Grimsvotn, which exploded last in 2004, had fallen to 10 to 15 km of height of a Summit of 25 km (16 miles).

But the eruption was much stronger than that to a volcano, more to the South last year closed the European airspace and interrupted transatlantic flights, because of worries that particles could enter in aircraft engines and cause accidents. The air transport industry, said lost revenue $ 1.7 billion.

"It could lead to a disruption, but only for a very limited period and only on a very limited area," said University of Iceland Professor of Geophysics Magnus Tumi Gudmundsson.

"See us some signs that the (eruption) power decreases a little, but it is still powerful enough," he said, adding that the eruption was the most violent volcano since 1873.

LAYERS OF ASH

Gudmundsson and other volcanologists said that the impact on air travel this time would be more limited that the winds are more favourable, content of the plume was heavier, and less likely to spread, authorities had a tolerance for the levels of ash.

Some airlines complained that the authorities had been overly cautious in imposing closures of coverage of the airspace in the eruption of the last year.

Icelandair, the leading company on the island, stopped flights Sunday and said on its website that the case could continue Monday. He said 6,000 passengers were affected by the cancellations so far.

Dave Mcgarvie, a volcanologist at Open University Britain, said any ash, which reached Great Britain would be lower than last year and added that the experience acquired since the eruption of 2010 would lead within disorder.

In the comments, he said "minor diversion" should allow the aircraft to avoid areas where ash is concentrated.

Grimsvotn is located under the glacier Vatnaj?kull in the Southeast, the largest glacier in Europe Iceland.

The areas south of the glacier have been covered by thick layers of ash and the Sun was blocked for several hours.

"It was the night during the winter," said Benedikt Larusson, speaking in the town of Kirkjubaejarklaustur. "Now, it's a little better." Now, I see about 100 metres, but until it was approximately one metre.