A HUGE volcano in Iceland could be about to blow which would turn day into night and cause chaos across Europe. Scientists have warned that Katla – one of the most feared volcanoes in the world – is on the brink of a major explosion which would dwarf the Eyjafjallajokull eruption last year. Katla’s magma chamber is 10 times the size of the one at nearby Eyjafjallajokull, which grounded planes because of its ash cloud and cost the European economy £1billion. The blast caused problems for several weeks even though it was only classed as a minor eruption. Scientists detected a series of small tremors at Katla in July but have recorded more worrying signs in the past few days that pressure is building. There has been a swarm of minor earthquakes that have now reached a magnitude of four. Professor Pall Einarsson, of the University of Iceland, said: “It is definitely showing signs of restlessness. Volcanoes can be quite beautiful but they can also be quite destructive.” An evacuation plan is in place for communities near Katla such as Vik, a small town of 300 people, but many fear they may have less than an hour to escape once the volcano goes up. Katla – named after an evil troll – usually explodes twice a century. It last erupted in 1918 when the ash starved crops of sunlight and killed livestock. Ice covering the volcano melted and flooded farms with a torrent of water said to be as wide as the Amazon.
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