Mount Doom's Neighbor Erupts in New Zealand
Mount Tongariro may come back to life again, scientists warn.
Mount Tongariro, situated in a remote part of the country's North Island, erupted for five minutes on November 21, spewing clouds of ash 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) high. In August, the 6,490-foot (1,978-meter) Tongariro had erupted for the first time since 1897. (Video: Volcano 101.)
Though the recent activity seems to have ebbed, scientists have predicted another eruption of similar size will occur in the next few weeks, according to the New Zealand Herald.
Several flights were canceled on New Zealand's North Island. Previous eruptions—notably of Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano in 2010—have crippled air travel on a global scale.
(Related: "Volcanic Ash Stops Europe Flights—Why Ash Is Dangerous [2010].")
"Very often volcanic ash contains microscopic fragments of volcanic glass ... and
