Icelandic Volanco That Shutdown European Air Traffic In 2010 May Erupt Again

The nation's meteorological department said two earthquakes of magnitude of about 4.5 occurred in the north-east part of the Katla caldera on Monday."These earthquakes are significant as they are the largest in Katla since 1977. The ensuing swarm produced over 100 earthquakes, the largest of which was magnitude 3.3 on the same day, 29 August," the department said in a statement.

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The department said Monday's earthquakes "are not necessarily precursors to an imminent volcanic eruption," as similar activity has occurred at Katla since the 1950s "without resulting in an explosive eruption."

"However," the agency noted, "Katla is one of Iceland's most active volcanoes and the interval since the last eruption in 1918 is unusually long in relation to recent centuries." A volcanic eruption has been expected since the 1960s.

Iceland hogged limelight in April 2010 when ash from an eruption of its Eyjafjallajokull volcano grounded several flights across Europe for days, affecting travel for millions.