I noticed today that our flight from Portland, Oregon to Amsterdam in the Netherlands passes over Iceland, so I immediately checked on the status of the Fagradalsfjall volcano. According to Dr. Margaret Hartley, lecturer in Earth Sciences at the University of Manchester, the chance of a volcanic eruption is very high.
Working as an FAA Authorized Inspector in California, I remember all of the Notices to Airmen, or NOTAMs, that came out during previous eruptions. There were also a dozen or so Airworthiness Directives involving jets flying in the vicinity of a volcanic dust cloud.
According to the FAA, there are no current NOTAMs regarding the Icelandic volcano.
I don’t believe that, if Fagradalsfjall erupts, we’ll have to postpone or cancel the flight. I’m sure the airline will be able to find an alternate route.
According to the Icelandic Meteorological Office, there has been an increase in earthquakes, including larger tremors, indicating the movement of magma. There has also been some slight ground deformation in the area, which is another indication of a potential eruption.
Whether there is or is not an eruption is not anything we can do anything about, so I’m not going to worry. If there is one, we’ll deal with it.
Still, I found it an interesting coincidence.
Memoirs of an Earthling 