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Eyjafjallajökull
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Map of Iceland highlighting the locations of major glaciers, shown in light blue, and major volcanoes, marked with names and eruption years. The map also indicates areas of lava fields and labels surrounding bodies of water, including the Greenland Sea and Atlantic Ocean. Eyjafjallajökull volcano
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Eyjafjalla Glacier
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Map of Iceland highlighting the locations of major glaciers, shown in light blue, and major volcanoes, marked with names and eruption years. The map also indicates areas of lava fields and labels surrounding bodies of water, including the Greenland Sea and Atlantic Ocean.
Volcanoes and glaciers of Iceland

Eyjafjallajökull

glacier, Iceland
Also known as: Eyjafjalla Glacier
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Eyjafjallajökull volcano
Eyjafjallajökull volcanoEyjafjallajökull volcano emitting ash into the air over southern Iceland, April 16, 2010.

Eyjafjallajökull, glacier, southern Iceland. The former western extension of Mýrdalsjökull (Mýrdals Glacier), from which it is now separated by the small ice-free Fimmvörduháls Pass, Eyjafjallajökull covers an area of about 40 square miles (100 square km). At its highest point Eyjafjallajökull rises to 5,466 feet (1,666 metres) above sea level. On March 20, 2010, Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupted for the first time since 1821. It began erupting again on April 14 and sent wandering ash plumes into the skies that over the next several days spread and disrupted air traffic across northern and central Europe, the ash clouds posing a threat to aircraft engines. Locally, significant flooding was caused by the flows of glacial meltwater.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.
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