Scientists say that because the volcano is situated below a glacial ice cap, the magma is being cooled quickly, causing explosions and plumes of grit that can be catastrophic to plane engines if prevailing winds are right. "The activity has been quite vigorous overnight, causing the eruption column to grow," Icelandic geologist Magnus Tumi Gudmundsson told The Associated Press on Saturday. "It's the magma mixing with the water that creates the explosivity. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be an end in sight."
An expansive cloud of grit hovered over parts of western Europe on Saturday, triggering extended flight bans that stranded people around the globe. Forecasters said light prevailing winds in Europe — and large amounts of unmelted glacial ice above the volcano — mean that the situation is unlikely to change in the coming days.
"Currently the U.K. and much of Europe is under the influence of high pressure, which means winds are relatively light and the dispersal of the cloud is slow," said Graeme Leitch, a meteorologist at Britain's National Weather Service. "We don't expect a great deal of change over the next few days." Matthew Roberts, at the Icelandic Meteorological Office, said only about a third of the total quantity of glacial ice in the crater has melted. "There could be days' worth of water and ice mixed with the eruptive products," he told the BBC.
The ash plume was rising to about 30,000 feet with intensifying volcanic activity, Leitch said. It is possible for planes to fly over the ash cloud, he said, although it is up to individual countries to decide whether they should open higher airspace.
Aviation experts say the volcanic plume has caused the worst travel disruption Europe — and the world — has ever seen, except during wars. "I've been flying for 40 years, but I've never seen anything like this in Europe," said Swedish pilot Axel Alegren, after landing his flight from Kabul, Afghanistan, at Munich Airport; he had been due to land at Frankfurt but was diverted.
Anxious passengers have told stories of missed weddings, graduations, school and holidays because of the ominous plume, and some world leaders canceled plans to attend Sunday's state funeral for Polish President Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria in the southern city of Krakow. Several world leaders, including President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicholas Sarkozy, had to abandon plans to attend the funeral because of ash-related disruptions.
Slovenian President Danilo Turk will travel to Poland by car. Most of northern and central Europe's airspace has been shut down, affecting airports from New Zealand to San Francisco. In Iceland, torrents of water have carried away chunks of ice the size of small houses. Sections of the country's main ring road were wiped out by the flash floods.
More floods from melting waters are expected as long as the volcano keeps erupting — and in 1821, the same volcano managed to erupt for more than a year.
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