On this day, 29 years ago, on October 2, 1996 (August 20, 1996, the Icelandic glacier volcano erupted, causing the river to surge. Volcanic eruption occurred in Iceland On October 2, 1996, an active volcano in the Vatna Icefield in eastern Iceland began to erupt. High temperatures melted the ice and caused the river to surge. The volcanic ash ejected by the volcano is as high as 5000 meters and is constantly drifting north. The glacier cracks caused by the volcano are 10 kilometers long. Residents in northeastern Iceland have been warned to stay at home and not go out. According to expert analysis, this volcanic eruption will not pose a direct threat to the lives of nearby residents. According to statistics, there were more than 600 natural disasters around the world in 1996, killing more than 11,000 people and causing economic losses of approximately US$60 billion. Natural disasters that occurred in 1996 included storms, floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, forest fires, droughts, high temperatures, severe cold, landslides and avalanches. The most serious of them was the devastating flood along the Yangtze River in China in summer, which was the world's largest flood in 150 years; the most serious storm occurred in the northeastern United States, causing economic losses of about US$3 billion; the most serious fire was the grassland fire that occurred in Mongolia in April, spreading more than 100,000 square kilometers. The main reasons for the increase in natural disasters and serious economic losses are changes in the environment and climate, and excessive concentration of population and property.