Bárðarbunga eruption may reveal plane wreckage

"I doubt that there will be an eruption within the Bárðarbunga caldera, but if that happens then it's not impossible that the wreck of the Geysir plane may see the light of day again." Haraldur Sigurðsson volcanologist writes this on [LINK]his website.[/LINK] Now that the eyes of the nation are upon Bárðarbunga on the Vatnajökull glacier, I think it is appropriate to recall an event that took place there back in 1950."

On September 14th 1950 the plane Geysir went on its last voyage. It crashed in the southeastern parts of Bárðarbunga, but the plane was heading for Luxembourg with a crew of 6, but no passengers. The search for the plane was a massive endeavour. Every Search and Rescue squad in the country was called out, 15 airplanes flew over what amounted to 150.000 square kilometers, among them one Danish warplane. Four days after the crash the wreckage was finally found. All 6 survived the crash, but some were injured.

"A Search & Rescue team from Akureyri was first on the scene on September 20th and everyone made it off the glacier safe and sound. Since then the Geysir wreckage has slowly but steadily been covered by snow within the Bárðarbunga caldera," adds Haraldur and quotes fellow volcanologist Helgi Björnsson that the wreckage could be as far down as 100 meters under the ice.

Earthquakes are registered every hour in the volcano area north of Vatnajökull. Most of the earthquakes are close to Bárðarbunga. Experts are unable to say whether Bárðarbunga is going to erupt, but they are certain that other eruptions will start once the Holuhraun eruption subsides.