A volcanic eruption in Iceland could be imminent after two earthquakes struck in rapid succession.

The Katla volcano, one of the largest in Iceland, was rocked by two earthquakes of magnitude 4.2 and 4.5 this weekend.

It typically erupts every 80 years but was last active in 1918, almost a century ago.

The remote North Atlantic country hit headlines in April 2010 when ash from the erupting Eyjafjallajokul volcano grounded flights across Europe for days.

Travel chaos ensued and left millions stranded at airports unable to travel home, including families and teachers on holiday during the school Easter break.

The Icelandic Meteorological Office has not yet changed the alert status for Katla from “normal” as no tremors have been recorded.

Katla has experienced various earthquake swarms over the last 10 years, but none as large as this weekend’s since 1977.

Gunnar Gudmundsson, a geophysicist, said that authorities are monitoring the situation and described it as "a little bit unusual", but said there's "no sign" of an eruption. </s> The volcano, which stands at 1,500 meters (nearly 5,000 feet) tall, hasn't had a major eruption since 1918. Scientists say Katla usually erupts once every 50 years.

The meteorological office confirmed an increase in seismic activity in recent weeks and said it was monitoring the situation. An eruption is not imminent, scientists said, but they can't rule it out.

"Such summertime increases in seismicity are common at Katla and the ongoing activity within the caldera is similar to summertime unrest observed in 2012 and 2014," the office said.

"Measurements around Katla are not detecting signs of increased ground deformation or seismic tremor, both of which could be indicators of magma movement." Ash billows from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano on May 8, 2010 in Hvolsvoellur, Iceland. In 2010, Katla's neighboring volcano, Eyjafjallajokull, caused chaos across Europe and shut down most of the continent's airspace. Thousands of flights were grounded because of the volcanic ash following its eruption. </s> LONDON (AP) — Iceland's Meteorological Office says two earthquakes early Monday rocked the caldera of Katla, one of the country's largest volcanos.

Gunnar Gudmundsson, a geophysicist, said authorities are monitoring the situation at the volcano in southern Iceland and described it as "a little bit unusual." The quakes measured magnitude 4.2 and magnitude 4.5 and were followed by some 20 aftershocks.

"People have been waiting for an eruption for 50 years," Gudmundsson said of Katla. "But there is no sign of an eruption."

Katla, named after an evil troll, is in southern Iceland about 140 kilometers (87 miles) from the capital, Reykjavik.

Iceland, an island nation in the remote North Atlantic, is a volcanic hotspot often hit by seismic activity. Its volcanos attracted international attention in April 2010, when ash from an eruption of its Eyjafjallajokull volcano grounded flights across Europe for days, disrupting travel for millions.

In the past, Katla has erupted in tandem with Eyjafjallajokull. Katla's last major eruption took place in 1918, and another has been expected since the 1960s. </s> Iceland's Met Office has warned that the Katla volcano could be on the verge of erupting, following the country's first major tremors since 1977.

Two earthquakes exceeding four in magnitude rocked the volcano's crater on Monday, according to a statement from Iceland 's Met Office.

Katla, which is one of the country's largest volcanoes , is located on the island's southern coast and stands 1,450 metres (4,757 feet) tall.

The volcano last erupted in 2011, and before that in both 1999 and 1955, but none of these eruptions were strong enough to break the ice covering its 10km-wide crater.

The massive volcano's last major eruption took place in 1918 and saw ash spewed into the air for nearly five weeks.

The volcano's ice cap is thought to be able to contain hot lava for around 90 minutes in the event of an eruption.

This would enable Icelandic authorities to evacuate anybody nearby and to alert international air traffic control.

In 2010, the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull resulted in a massive ash cloud that caused the cancellation of 100,000 flights across Europe and left many people stranded.

It was feared that tiny glass-like particles formed from the volcano's lava could melt in aircraft engines and cause turbines to become clogged. </s> Iceland's Meteorological Office says two earthquakes have rocked the caldera of Katla, one of the country's largest volcanos.

Gunnar Gudmundsson, a geophysicist, said Monday that authorities are monitoring the situation and described it as 'a little bit unusual,' but said there's 'no sign' of an eruption.

Gudmundsson says 'people have been waiting for an eruption for 50 years.'

Named after an evil troll, Katla typically awakens every 80 years or so and last erupted in 1918.

Iceland, in the remote North Atlantic, is a volcanic hotspot often hit by seismic activity.

Its volcanos attracted international attention in April 2010, when ash from an eruption of its Eyjafjallajokul volcano grounded flights across Europe for days, disrupting travel for millions.

In 2014, a record-breaking volcanic eruption spewed lava and ash over Iceland’s Highlands for nearly six months, leaving behind the largest caldera formation ever observed.

Katla is among the most frequently erupting volcanoes in Iceland, averaging about two eruptions each century. The volcanic massive is partly covered by the glacier Mýrdalsjökull which fills a caldera depression and covers the eruptive vents. The eruptions are accompanied by enormous laharic floods which have formed a vast sandur plain. The last eruption in Katla occurred in 1918. The Southern coast was extended by 5 km by the laharic flood deposits. The last eruption in Katla (pictured) occurred in 1918.

The Bardarbunga eruption was the strongest of its kind in Europe in more than 240 years, and released two cubic kilometers of volcanic material.

Researchers from the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences have studied the event in new detail, using satellite images, seismological and geochemical data, GPS data, and modelling to document the eruption. </s> The Katla volcano has not erupted properly since 1918 and scientists say it is overdue to do so, although an eruption could still be decades away.

"It is quite a dynamic situation now, in the next hours and days following this, but as we speak at the moment we do not see any signs that there is an imminent hazardous unrest about to happen," Matthew Roberts, a natural hazards scientist at the Icelandic Met Office, said.

Ash from an eruption of the nearby Eyjafjallajokull volcano in 2010 shut down much of Europe's airspace for six days.

Katla, in southern Iceland, was rocked by quakes of magnitude 4.5 and 4.6 overnight. The volcano sustained similar movements in 2011.

The volcano is covered by an ice cap, which should, in the event of an eruption, typically contain the lava for around 60 to 90 minutes, giving time to alert the population and international air traffic, Roberts said. </s> A volcano erupted Wednesday on the same island in Indonesia where an earthquake and tsunami last week killed at least 1,400 people.

The eruption of Mount Soputan on Sulawesi island in central Indonesia prompted authorities to warn of possible lava flows and ash clouds that could impact air travel. Evacuations were ordered for those living within a few miles of the volcano.

The eruption spewed ash 19,700 feet into the sky.

Scientists have not yet determined whether the eruption was directly triggered by the earthquake in central Sulawesi on Friday. However, Indonesian news portal Tempo cited a government volcanologist who suspected it was.

Indonesia has many actives volcanoes. It is also located in the so-called Ring of Fire, one of the most active areas for earthquakes in the world.

President Donald Trump called Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on Tuesday to offer assistance with both the emergency phase and reconstruction from the earthquake and tsunami that struck Sulawesi.

More: Indonesia tsunami: As desperation mounts, relief groups mobilize; here's how you can help

More: No, the giant Katla volcano in Iceland isn't about to erupt

In addition to the growing death toll, hundreds of people were severely injured in Friday’s disasters. With many roads blocked and key communication lines and infrastructure destroyed, food, water, fuel and medicine are struggling to reach the hardest-hit areas outside Palu, the largest city heavily damaged. More than 60,000 people have been displaced, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency. </s> Karangasem: Indonesian officials raised the highest possible alert for a volcano on the resort island of Bali late Friday, after tremors prompted thousands to flee over fears it could erupt for the first time in more than 50 years.

Mount Agung, about 75 kilometres from the tourist hub of Kuta, has been rumbling since August and officials have recommended that people stay at least nine kilometres away from the crater.

Hundreds of small tremors have rattled the mountain this week, causing almost 10,000 people to leave their homes as of Friday over fears of a volcanic eruption.

"Tremors happen very often, so we are afraid and I have taken all my family members to the refugee shelter," villager I Wayan Suwarjana told AFP.

National disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho advised people to stay calm and not to believe rumours.

The airport in Bali`s capital Denpasar, a top holiday destination that attracts millions of foreign tourists every year, has not been affected but airport management is watching the situation closely.

The Australian government put out a travel advisory Friday instructing travellers to exercise a high degree of caution in Indonesia and follow the instructions of authorities.

More than 1,000 people died when Mount Agung last erupted in 1963. </s> The western coast of Greenland has been struck with a 4.0 magnitude earthquake, triggering a tsunami that swept away several houses in coastal villages. At least four people are feared missing, as a rescue mission in the village hardest hit by waves is under way, local police reports.

The settlement of Nuugaatsiaq suffered the most, with 11 houses being washed away and the community being left with no electricity. With a registered population of 101, 78 people have been evacuated to the town of Uummannaq, the Greenlandic Broadcasting Corporation (KNR) reported, citing police officials.

Two people sustained serious injuries, and seven others less serious injuries, police said. The remaining 23 people may be on vacation, or have gone fishing or hunting, police chief Bjørn Tegner Bay said, adding he couldn’t confirm whether there have been any fatalities.

Police urged the citizens of Illorsuit, which also saw the large waves, to return to their homes, but warned of sirens that would signal people to seek higher ground in case of aftershocks.

“It’s not normal that we have such large quakes in Greenland,” said Trine Dahl Jensen, a senior researcher at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), as quoted by Aftenposten.

Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen offered his sympathies to his Greenlandic counterpart, Kim Kielsen, over what he called “a terrible natural disaster” in his Twitter account.

With a population of some 56,000 people, Greenland, the world’s largest island, has a vast ice sheet which covers around 80 percent of its area and is particularly affected by climate change.
Numerous tremors rock the Katla volcano in Iceland prompting the government to raise the alarm level.