0075-WorksheetPortrait.pdf. Spain Earthquake Pictures: Buildings Fall, Dozens Hurt. Volcano Warning. Sometimes a volcano roars to life with little or no warning. That’s what happened in late September when Japan’s Mount Ontake belched toxic fumes and ash into the air, killing dozens of hikers. Other volcanoes, like Iceland’s Bardarbunga, give some warning of an impending eruption. Scientists began getting clues that Bardarbunga was stirring to life weeks before it erupted this August: Sensors had detected rumblings in Earth’s crust nearby. Despite the warning, no one knew if the recent eruption would become dangerous. So far, there’s no reliable way to predict when or where on Earth the next big eruption will occur. Iceland’s explosiveness results from the structure of the earth beneath it.
Most of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge runs along the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Additionally, Iceland is situated on a hot spot, an area where heat wells up from deep within the planet. Most volcanoes give warning signs before they erupt. Science Topics: hazards. Volcanic Eruptions.