Monitoring up at danger volcano

SCIENTISTS have expressed concern about an increase in seismic activity at one of Iceland’s most dangerous volcanoes.

The Oraefajokull volcano, dormant since its last eruption in 1727-1728, has seen a recent rise in seismic activity and geothermal water leakage that has worried scientists.

With a 72ft snow hole on Iceland’s highest peak deepening 18in each day, authorities have raised the volcano’s alert safety code to yellow.

Experts at Iceland’s Meteorological Office have detected 160 earthquakes in the region in the past week alone as they step up their monitoring of the volcano.

The earthquakes are mostly small but their sheer number is exceptionally high.