Months of geologic unrest preceded Eyjafjallajokull eruption: Study

LONDON - A new study has shown that the eruption of Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull was preceded by months of geological unrest.

A team of researchers that conducted the study said the find could provide insight into what roused it from its centuries of slumber.

The team analyzed geophysical changes in the long-dormant volcano leading up to its eruptions in March and April 2010.

The scientists suggest that magma flowing beneath the volcano may have triggered its reawakening.

“Several months of unrest preceded the eruptions, with magma moving around downstairs in the plumbing and making noise in the form of earthquakes,” Nature quoted Kurt Feigl, a professor of geoscience at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as saying.

“By monitoring volcanoes, we can understand the processes that drive them to erupt.” (ANI)