Volcanic Activity Thread!

[The PIT]

Over at Eruptions there's a good pic of Chaiten http://scienceblogs.com/eruptions/

The new dome has nearly filled the caldera and the mountain has nearly been rebuilt. Shows how fast volcanoes can reconstruct themselves when in the mood.

Redoubt may also be stirring again as swarms have been detected close to the summit. The warning level has been raises to yellow but activity has declined since yesterday.

Edited April 7, 2010 by The PIT

[Gray-Wolf]

woah! this is cool!

http://eldgos.mila.i...fimmvorduhalsi/

just watched the cinder cone grow into a mini volcanoe and then 3 vehicles drove in real close ,stayed a couple of mins, and then split. Are they mad????

I don't know how big the cinder cone will be by the time you view this but it's a 'mini volcano' right now.

p.s. zoom your screen up to 200 or 400%

EDIT: It's like watching it snow but with fire! the cone keeps growing and growing and those nutty Icelanders keep driving up for a peak and then splitting. Oh to be there!!!

Edited April 7, 2010 by Gray-Wolf

[The PIT]

While we're all looking at Iceland it seems that Etna could well be getting ready to do an eruption.

http://scienceblogs.com/eruptions/2010/04/etna_showing_signs_of_new_erup.php#c2414022

[stormchaser.co.uk]

This thread may be of significance today with Iceland erupting again yesterday:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8620485.stm

But this is the news for the UK:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8621407.stm

News from Glasgow airport:

Travel Advisory: Scottish airports closedLast updated: 5:50am

Airspace around Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow airports has been closed by the national air traffic service, NATS, as a result of volcanic ash drifting across the United Kingdom from Iceland.

Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow airports are closed until further notice. Passengers are instructed NOT to travel to the Scottish airports. All arriving and departing flights are currently suspended.

[SteveB]

Yes its all over the news, mainly because the grounding of flights and closure of airports.

[snowingman]

This thread may be of significance today with Iceland erupting again yesterday:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8620485.stm

But this is the news for the UK:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8621407.stm

News from Glasgow airport:

Travel Advisory: Scottish airports closedLast updated: 5:50am

Airspace around Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow airports has been closed by the national air traffic service, NATS, as a result of volcanic ash drifting across the United Kingdom from Iceland.

Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow airports are closed until further notice. Passengers are instructed NOT to travel to the Scottish airports. All arriving and departing flights are currently suspended.

Add BELFAST TO THIS!!!.... how can a flight from BELFAST to BIRMINGHAM be cancelled when the ASH CLOUD IS OVER THE FAROE ISLANDS???

me no understand!!

[Coast]

Hundreds of flights have already been cancelled at airports in Scotland and northern England, and the ash cloud is forecast to spread southwards towards London during today, causing major disruption. Air traffic controllers in Brussels in charge of strategic management of flights across Europe have issued warnings to pilots that all UK airspace north of London is closed until further notice and that many flights into Britain can expect to be diverted to other countries or cancelled.

British Airways has cancelled all domestic flights for the whole of today. Flights in Norway and other parts of northern Europe have also been disrupted. Forecasters believe the ash could take a number of days to disperse. Volcanic ash, which consists of the pulverised rock and glass created by the eruptions, can jam aircraft machinery if a plane flies through the plume, shutting down the engines. Ash can also be can be sucked into the cabin itself, contaminating the passengers' environment as well as damaging the plane's electronic systems.

Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen airports are closed until further notice and passengers are advised not to travel to the terminals. The measures forced Liberal Democrat treasury spokesman Vince Cable to cancel planned campaign visits to Dunfermline and Edinburgh on Thursday. At Manchester and London Luton, some flights are arriving normally but there are dozens of cancellations, with domestic flights from Scotland worst affected.

A spokeswoman for easyJet, which has cancelled dozens of flights at Luton and Scottish airports, said: "Following the eruption of a volcano in Iceland yesterday, an ash plume has entered UK and Scandinavian airspace overnight. "As a result NATS have closed parts of UK airspace and this is causing significant disruption to all airlines due to operate flights to and from the UK today. "EasyJet passengers are advised to check the website before they leave for the airport for any disruption information."

Heathrow's second biggest scheduled airline, bmi, has cancelled all flights between London and Scotland until later today. It said: "We recommend that customers whose journey is not essential book for an alternate date. Customers who have booked and are still intending to travel should consult the flight status page for the latest information." Matt Dobson, a forecaster for MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: "The concern is that as well as the eruption, the jet stream passing through Iceland is passing in a south easterly direction, which will bring ash to the north of Scotland and Denmark and Norway. But it is impossible to say how much ash will come down.

"It could be a threat in these areas from now until tomorrow or Friday." A spokesman from Nats said: "The Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre has issued a forecast that the ash cloud from the volcanic eruption in Iceland will track over Europe tonight. "NATS is working with Eurocontrol and our colleagues in Europe's other air navigation service providers to take the appropriate action to ensure safety in accordance with international aviation policy."

Weather forecasters said the ash plume could drift over British airspace during the night, causing significant disruption to services. The movement of the plume, which has been drifting eastwards, is being monitored by both the Met Office and NATS, the air traffic control service. There have been a number of incidents where aircraft have reported damage from ash, including one involving a British Airways Boeing 747 in June 1982.

The aircraft ran into difficulties after the eruption of a volcano at Galunggung, Indonesia. Ash jammed all four engines briefly, and the aircraft plummeted 24,000 feet before they could be restarted. Because of the threat to aviation, a global early warning system, known as the International Airways Volcano Watch, has been established. Iceland is considered as particularly vulnerable to volcanic disruption.

Authorities there yesterday evacuated 800 residents from around the Eyjafjallajokull glacier as water gushed down the mountainside and rivers rose by up to 10 feet (3 meters). The Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupted for the first time in 200 years on March 20, in a dramatic display that sent fountains of lava spewing into the air. The first eruption did not trigger any major flooding, as was initially feared, because the active vents were in a mainly ice-free part of the volcano.

But Tuesday's eruption came from a different vent beneath a 650-ft (200m) thick block of ice, unleashing a torrent of glacial meltwater.

www.telegraph.co.uk

[picog]

I got a call at 4 in the morning to tell me that my 9am flight to New York from Birmingham was cancelled today due to adverse weather and was rescheduled for Sunday! That seems like a long period for flights to be delayed.

[Backtrack]

Is it dangerous to breathe in?

[picog]

Is it dangerous to breathe in?

Probably not, and especially if you have any type of lung disease. At the moment the cloud of ash is very high, so providing it doesn't rain or some weather effect doesn't bring it to ground, we should be breathing volcanic ash-free air.

[Backtrack]

Probably not, and especially if you have any type of lung disease. At the moment the cloud of ash is very high, so providing it doesn't rain or some weather effect doesn't bring it to ground, we should be breathing volcanic ash-free air.

:lol:

Okay thanks.

[dogs32]

according to reports, it as got down as far as Brum in places and moving South...

Sky news...going to get worse for airports

Edited April 15, 2010 by dogs32

[The PIT]

Is it dangerous to breathe in?

Can be but the cloud is very high and according too this http://scienceblogs.com/eruptions/ doesn't contain large amounts of ash. So you should be safe.

Interesting I checked this out yesterday and the eruption was waning. However speculation was revolving round whether the magma had found a new route although at the time the seismic activity didn't support this. As ever in these cases seismic activity started later indicating a new eruption under the Glacier.

If the Eruption continues and with the likelihood of more northerlies in the near future the ash maybe an re-occurring problem.

[dogs32]

Its dangerous for aircraft due to the particles clogging up jet engines..

90% of UK flights canceled........

i HOPE THIS IS SORTED BY NEXT WEEK..

[NorthNorfolkWeather]

It seems the eruption is still underway as well. With a predominant NW to SE Upper wind flow, as long as we have this ash being pumped into the Upper atmosphere, the airlines will struggle.

There may be some very spectacular sunsets over the next few days if this cloud clears

[The PIT]

Its dangerous for aircraft due to the particles clogging up jet engines..

90% of UK flights canceled........

i HOPE THIS IS SORTED BY NEXT WEEK..

Go and tell the Volcano I'm sure it will listen. :rolleyes:

It seems the eruption is still underway as well. With a predominant NW to SE Upper wind flow, as long as we have this ash being pumped into the Upper atmosphere, the airlines will struggle.

There may be some very spectacular sunsets over the next few days if this cloud clears

I was thinking that but I expect the cloud too hang on to spoil this.

[dogs32]

Go and tell the Volcano I'm sure it will listen. :rolleyes:

lol...not listening...

will cost UK millions...

Its to high up for a rain to clear the Atmosphere...and there is no sign of this ceasing at present..

I dont know if I have this correct but the particles are so high up that you wont see much of it.

[Coast]

Safety is paramount, can you imagine the fallout ( sorry for the pun!) if there was an incident/accident?

In this image made available by the Icelandic Coastguard, Wednesday April 14, 2010, smoke and steam rises from the volcano under the Eyjafjallajokull glacier in Iceland, which erupted for the second time in less than a month, melting ice, shooting smoke and steam into the air and forcing hundreds of people to flee rising floodwaters. Authorities evacuated 800 residents from around the glacier as rivers rose by up to 10 feet (3 meters). Emergency officials and scientists said the eruption under the ice cap was 10 to 20 times more powerful than one last month, and carried a much greater risk of widespread flooding.(AP Photo/Icelandic Coastguard)

[Mondy]

Forecast for 12.00 hrs. The red line is where the ash will be from ground level to 20000 ft. The green line shows the area where air traffic have problems between 20000 and 35000 ft. The blue line is a smaller area between 35000 and 50000ft.

Here is the plume showing well on satellite:

http://www.sat24.com/uk

Entire Scottish airspace is closed: http://www.radarvirtuel.com/ (use Firefox or other browser)

[The PIT]

The magma involved in this eruption may contain Rhyolite which contains more gas as it's more viscous than Basalt. So the eruption could be more explosive if this is the case. It all depends whether there is as Rhyolite reserve to draw on or not.

This explains how Rhyolite is formed http://www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/geol204/volcan&magma.htm

Thanks for the links Mondy.

Edited April 15, 2010 by The PIT

[Mondy]

You can get the latest ash maps here: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/aviation/vaac/data/VAG_1271309704.png Not surprising airspace is shut.

And this is pretty simple, really:

From CFMU -Central Flow Management Unit 0746z

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Update Following The Volcanic Ash Teleconference

------------------------------------------------

.

In Accordance With Icao Regulations Atc Units Cannot Issue Ifr

Clearances To Traffic In Areas Affected By Or Forecast To Be

Affected By The Volcanic Ash Cloud

.

This Means That Zero Rates Have Been Applied For:

.

All Scottish Airspace

.

London Airspace North Of Birmingham

.

Copenhagen Northern Airspace. Southern Sectors Will Be Restricted

With Zero Rate From 1000 Utc

.

Oslo Airspace

.

Stavanger Airspace.

.

Stockholm North Sectors

.

The Above Are Currently Unavailable To Ifr Traffic. The Following

Areas Are Foreseen To Be Restricted Later In The Day:

.

Information Just Received That All London Sectors Will Not

Be Available To Ifr Traffic From 1100 Utc Until 1800 Utc

.

Dublin Airspace Will Be Restricted By Zero Rate From 1100 Utc

.

Shannon Airspace May Be Closed To Ifr Traffic Shortly But This Is

Under Review. This Would Mean T9 And T16 Would Not Be Available

.

Notams Will Be Issued By Relevant National Authorities Concerning

Route Availability Outside These Areas

.

All Traffic Operating Nat Should Load Extra Fuel In Anticipation

Of

Lower Than Optimal Fl Allocation. This Includes Traffic Operating

On T9 And T16

.

At This Time Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Frankfurt And

*

All Other Aerodromes South Of The North Sea And English

Channel Are Unaffected.

.

Next Teleconference Will Be At 1000 Utc. Details In A Separate Aim

.

Regards,

Network Operations

Cfmu

Brussels

Ie, NO flights

[dogs32]

very negative on BBC news.....

just hope this gets blown in a different direction..as this could go on

[Mondy]

Volcanic ash hits UK election campaigning in Scotland Mwhahaha!

[Nick F]

You can clearly see on upper wind charts that the winds are coming straight from Iceland and will continue to do so over next 24-36 hrs, the jet stream speeding up the process:

- Thurs 06z

- Fri 06z

By t+48 upper winds turning more westerly - so perhaps any volcanic ash by then transfering more eastwards towards Norway:

Though later in the weekend an upper trough moves down from the N/NW and brings more N'erly upper winds:

[Roger J Smith]

If the non-volcanic cloud layers disperse or have large enough gaps, you should easily be able to see these volcanic ash layers. They will look like dirty cirrus or more properly cirro-stratus, and they should be drifting south at the height they are currently at (about 15-20k ft). They are not white like normal cirrus or even grey so much as a sort of light beige to brown colour, but they do start to resemble cirro-stratus ice crystal clouds from what I recall of similar intensity volcanic ash clouds here in 2008 (from Alaska). They won't block the sunlight by more than 5-10% and you may see parhelia (sundogs) associated. As to where and when I am gathering the more concentrated parts are over northern Scotland now but more dispersed early segments are probably visible as far south as central England.

I expect this will get worse in terms of disruption and better in terms of viewability because it will take probably at least 3-5 days for this initial burst to disperse even if the volcano stops erupting shortly, which of course is not a given -- and the weather pattern favours more direct delivery of the ash plume to the British Isles as time passes now to Sunday. However by Sunday with that cold front coming through, the skies may become too cloudy to see the volcanic ash, yet at the same time the more turbulent conditions may bring some concentrations down towards the surface and have an impact, possibly moderate (I would doubt severe) on air quality or health considerations for the vulnerable.

Just to give you an idea, when Mount St Helens blew in 1980, ash fell to a thickness of a millimetre at a distance downwind about equivalent to northwest Scotland in this case (it fell to much larger depths closer to the volcano but by analogy those locations would be over the ocean except for the Faeroes which could conceivably see a half inch ash fall from a major Icelandic eruption).

I have the feeling this might cause disruption for over a week, it's bad luck that the wind direction is NW at upper levels for that whole period, more or less.