We have known for some time that Bárðarbunga was going to do something-we just didn't know what. Because it is covered in ice, we rely on instruments to reveal its behavior.
Now that it has stirred, it is giving us clues about what it is about to do. The clues from the patterns of earthquakes and earth movements reveal two clusters where magma is moving toward the surface, and if it gets there, it will erupt. But whether this will be a gentle or a violent eruption is uncertain at the time of writing.
There is no way to predict when the eruption may happen, but we should get a few hours' notice. The good news for air travel is that both clusters are away from the heart of the main volcano, which makes it less likely that an eruption will produce the fine ash that causes disruption.
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Now that it has stirred, it is giving us clues about what it is about to do. The clues from the patterns of earthquakes and earth movements reveal two clusters where magma is moving toward the surface, and if it gets there, it will erupt. But whether this will be a gentle or a violent eruption is uncertain at the time of writing.
There is no way to predict when the eruption may happen, but we should get a few hours' notice. The good news for air travel is that both clusters are away from the heart of the main volcano, which makes it less likely that an eruption will produce the fine ash that causes disruption.