Which Icelandic volcano erupted in 2010, disrupting air travel across Europe with an ash cloud?

Eyjafjallajökull was the Icelandic volcano whose 2010 eruption disrupted air travel across Europe with an ash cloud.

The eruption began in March 2010 with lava fountains at Fimmvörðuháls, followed by a more explosive phase beneath the volcano’s ice cap in April. Magma interacting with meltwater fragmented into fine ash, which winds carried across European airspace.

Airspace closures in April 2010 affected millions of passengers and caused one of the largest aviation disruptions in modern history. The volcano’s name is often mispronounced because Icelandic spelling and pronunciation are unfamiliar to many English speakers.

Eyjafjallajökull is not Iceland’s largest volcano, and its eruption was much smaller than major historical eruptions such as Laki in 1783. Its global impact came mainly from the ash’s location beneath a glacier and its position near busy European flight routes.