Above, a shot of the Grímsvötn volcanic eruption as seen from the GOES-13 satellite.
Volcanic ash is affecting air travel more than officials thought it might:
Although airports remained open on Tuesday, airlines halted hundreds of flights amid safety concerns at the high density of ash caused by the eruption of the Grímsvötn volcano in Iceland. British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair, Aer Lingus, Loganair, Flybe and KLM were among carriers cancelling flights.
However, BMI was still operating out of Edinburgh and Glasgow, saying the ash remained further north than forecast earlier. The airline was constantly reviewing the situation, it said.
Also, below, the most stunning video yet of the eruption.
Video, AFTER THE JUMP…
Jon Gustaffson, the videographer, writes:
"It took us 90 minutes to fly to Grimsvotn with a strong wind against us. The eruption looked magnificent in the sunset. Once we landed 5 miles away from the crater the cold glacier air hit us like a truck. We tried to work outside but I only lasted for a couple of minutes. Pilot Reynir Petursson also didn't want to stay on the ground for too long since it was very windy and the ash fall was unpredictable. The light was also disappearing and he needs visual reference which is difficult on a white glacier. Once we got off the ground again we had to stay low because there were so many lightnings all around the eruption. Getting hit by a lightning in that strong wind, extreme frost and next to a live volcano was not desirable. We made it back to Reykjavik at 2am. Now the airspace has been closed in a 20 nautical miles radius because of ash."
