(Newser)
–
Another Icelandic volcano has begun to grumble—and if it erupts, it could make last year's ash cloud look like a joke, experts say. The 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajokul was "small," according to a scientist; it didn't seem that way to the airlines that lost $2 billion thanks to disrupted service. Now researchers are detecting strengthening earthquakes around the more dangerous Katla, a volcano named for "an evil troll," the AP reports.
Katla last eruption, which went on for more than a month, took place in 1918. That eruption darkened the sky, killing livestock and crops; it also melted some of the ice sheet on the volcano, prompting flooding. Normally, the volcano erupts about twice a century, suggesting it's overdue. "It is definitely showing signs of restlessness," an expert notes. Officials are working with scientists to prepare—but they may have only an hour's warning ahead of an eruption. And Katla's not the only one.
