Eyjafjallajökull

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Eyjafjallajökull (ā´yäfyätläyö´kŭtl), glacier, S Iceland, near the coast. Roughly 39 sq mi (100 sq km) in area, it covers an active volcano, 5,466 ft (1,666 m) high, also known by the same name; the volcano's caldera is roughly 1.2–1.6 mi (2–2.5 km) in diameter. Eyjafjallajökull last erupted in 1821–3; its eruptions are known for preceding those of the much larger Katla to the east. In 2010 the volcano began erupting again; ash from the eruption posed a hazard to air travel, causing disruption across much of Europe for a time.