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Raises fears of larger eruption at nearby Katla volcano
"This was a rather small and peaceful eruption but we are concerned that it could trigger an eruption at the nearby Katla volcano, a vicious volcano that could cause both local and global damage," said Pall Einarsson, a geophysicist at the University of Iceland's Institute of Earth Science. Unlike the Eyjafjallajokull glacier, the area around the Katla volcano is covered by glacial ice and poses a greater danger of floods, said Einarsson. Katla volcano, located near the southern end of Iceland's eastern volcanic zone, is buried beneath the Myrdalsjökull icecap. One of Iceland's most active volcanoes, Katla has produced many damaging jökulhlaups, or glacier-outburst floods. Although there hasn't been an eruption near the Eyjafjallajokull glacier since 1821, Iceland sits atop a large volcanic hot spot in the Atlantic's mid-oceanic ridge, and volcanic eruptions have been common throughout the country's history. See:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/eu_iceland_volcano
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