Volcano!

Awesome power of Iceland volcano

A spectacular volcanic eruption under an Iceland glacier has forced airlines to divert flights to avoid flying through gas emissions from the blast. The volcano first erupted on Monday, sending thick black smoke and ash heading towards continental Europe. Since then, Grimsvotn volcano has produced a steady stream of ash and lava, with explosions sending ash up to 12,000m (40,000 feet) in the air. It is thought to have been caused by expansion of a lake under a glacier.

Grimsvotn last erupted six years ago and before that in 1995 and 1993, causing flooding. The volcano lies on the Atlantic Rift, the meeting of the Euro and American continental plates. The three major volcanoes of Iceland - Hekla, Katla and Grimsvotn - lie on the same fault line. During the late 18th century, continuous volcanic eruptions in Iceland heavily damaged a quarter of the island nation, and blotted out the sun's light for several years.