A sub-glacial volcanic eruption currently underway in Iceland has prompted authorities to ban all air travel in the area.
Local volcanologists discovered that lava from Bardarbunga volcano, part of Iceland's largest volcano system located underneath a massive glacier, was melting the glacier's ice, the BBC reported.
On Saturday Iceland's Meteorological Office raised the aviation alert level to "red," the highest level on its five-point scale, in the event the eruption sends ash and steam into the air. All airspace in the region has been closed.
Scientists are keeping close tabs on seismic activity under the Vatnajokull glacier to see if the eruption stays below the glacier or rises to the surface.
"The eruption is considered a minor event at this point," local police said in a statement. "Because of pressure from the glacier cap, it is uncertain whether the eruption will stay sub-glacial or not."
Geologists have also noticed an uptick in earthquakes in the area, with nearly 300 being reported since Tuesday night.
Several hundred people were evacuated on Wednesday in case the eruption causes flooding north of the glacier, the BBC reported. The area, located 190 miles from the capital Reykjavik, is not a residential neighborhood but is a hot spot for tourists.
The airspace closure could be seen as a preemptive decision to prevent major losses for Europe's aviation industry.
In 2010, the eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano caused a massive ash cloud that blocked flights in the area for a week, according to The Washington Times The setback resulted in over $1 billion euros in losses.
It was the biggest closure of European airspace since World War II, the BBC reported.
The last time Bardarbunga erupted was in 1910, according to the Smithsonian Institute Global Volcanism Program.
