Feature Fire & Ice Volcanoes and frozen lands make an explosive combo Share this:EmailFacebookTwitterPinterestPocketRedditPrint By Alexandra Witze September 10, 2010 at 2:45 pm View the slide show FIRE AND ICE Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupted quietly at first this spring (shown), until magma shifted directly beneath a glacier. Odd Stefan Thorisson/Nordicphotos/Corbis THIN ICE, MORE EXPLOSIONS Computer modeling of volcanic eruptions under ice suggests that thin ice plus even a little magma equals hazardous explosive eruptions. Source: H. Tuffen/Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010 GLACIOVOLCANOES AROUND THE WORLD | Volcanoes capped with ice pose distinct hazards in different countries. Researchers are trying to better understand these mountains to prevent future disasters. Cartesia, adapted by E. Feliciano SPECIAL HAZARDS All volcanoes can be hazardous, but when magma hits ice as it emerges, the resulting mudflows (called lahars) and high-flying ash can be especially dangerous for nearby residents and airplanes. B. Myers and S.R. Brantley/USGS, adapted by E. Feliciano ICE THINNING AT SELECTED ICE SHEETS AND VOLCANOES Source: H. Tuffen/Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010 Geologist Emily Constantine Mercurio measures the orientation of ripples frozen in rock atop Sveifluháls in Iceland. A. Witze ICELAND: LAND OF FIRE AND ICE 1. Sveifluháls: An eruption thousands of years ago created this volcanic ridge. 2. Eyjafjallajökull: This small volcano shut down much of Europe’s airspace this spring. 3. Katla: This neighboring volcano has erupted in tandem with Eyjafjallajökull before.