Hekla volcano 'erupts,' a second ash cloud? Well, not exactly...

In classic style, the Internet went abuzz this morning about how another volcano in Iceland -- perhaps the Hekla volcano -- erupted, spewing even more ash into the skies above Northern Europe, stranding who knows how many more bedraggled passengers in airports.

The only problem with the stories was that they were completely wrong. Various websites have kept the misinformation flowing, although a few started backing off the story, making corrections and otherwise admitting they were red-cheek embarrassed about the entire thing. Some, like Wire Update online, still appear to be standing by the story, reporting that the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service showed a huge plume of smoke rising from the Hekla volcano (as of this report).

 

Hmm... 

Of course last week, there was volcanic activity in Iceland, including a burst of ash, from the Eyjafjallajökull glacier in Iceland. That activity has calmed, but continues, according to The Associated Press, reporting from Iceland. There's less ash, writes AP, which means that stranded travelers may finally be able to board jetliners to travel. 

Scientists remain concern that more volcanic activity is forthcoming, but that hasn't happened yet. As for Hekla, according to the AP, it was last active in 2000 and 2004.

Image: The calm Hekla volcano seen in the distance/WikiCommons