Number of climbers killed after volcano eruption rises to 23

Officials Uncertain When , Iceland Volcano Will Erupt. 'Newsweek' reports that officials in Iceland have now expressed "considerable" uncertainty as to when the next volcanic episode will occur. . The news comes after another upward shift of magma pushed through the Earth's crust beneath Iceland, which could cause an eruption , "in the next few days or possibly after several months.". On December 6, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said that it was "not possible" to estimate the exact time of the next eruption. . The office has been warning of an eruption since a burst of seismic activity occurred on November 10. . Last week, a declining number of weaker earthquakes led experts to conclude that an imminent eruption was less likely but still possible. Officials have warned that volcanic activity could still increase in the region. For two weeks following the initial November 10 earthquake, between 1,500 and 1,800 more quakes were recorded before dropping to the low hundreds. 'Newsweek' reports that most of the quakes have occurred near a magma dike estimated to be 9.3 miles long, which runs along the coastal fishing town of Grindavik. . After cracks began appearing in the ground, nearly 4,000 people in Grindavik were evacuated. After cracks began appearing in the ground, nearly 4,000 people in Grindavik were evacuated. Since the quakes began, officials have been building earthen walls, along with conduits and canals, in an attempt to direct potential lava away from buildings