The article described the eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjall volcano, after which the surrounding area had to be evacuated. The article also stated that the volcanic eruption was not surprising for meteorologists and did not affect the climate. The biggest problem that the volcano caused was that it spewed ash clouds that cause issues with air traffic safety. Airports all over Europe, including Barcelona's El Prat, had to be shut down and a large amount of flights were canceled due to the unsafe conditions caused by the volcano. Airlines lost huge amounts of money and many people were stuck in foreign countries to which they had traveled. Airlines have now started operating again, but there is still a possibility that another Icelandic volcano close to Eyjafjall could erupt. Volcanoes that could erupt include Hekla and especially Katla, which has been dormant since 1918 and is suspected by meteorologists to be due for an eruption.
This major news story is very interesting to me after being abroad in Barcelona during the eruption. I saw firsthand what a large effect the volcano had on all of Europe--many of my friends could not get out of the city and many others got stuck in places to which they had traveled or had to spend dozens of hours on buses and trains making their way back to Barcelona. My program had to cancel classes for students who were stuck in foreign countries. Additionally, my grandparents, who had been visiting from America, were stuck in Barcelona for an extra five days because of flight cancellations and delays. It was a very interesting experience to see firsthand the chaos that a sudden natural disaster can cause. I began to wonder if I would be able to get home to America after the program, but since some ash has cleared, it looks as everything will be fine in terms of my travels home.
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