This image, acquired on 15 April 2010 by Envisat’s Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS), shows the vast cloud of volcanic ash sweeping across the UK from the eruption in Iceland, more than 1000 km away. The ash, which can be seen as the large grey streak in the image, is drifting from west to east at a height of about 11 km above the surface Earth.
An enlarged view and story follows.
It seems the Volcano has accomplished what the nutballs of “Plane Stupid” could not – shut down UK airports, including Heathrow.
Flights have been disrupted across northern Europe by volcanic ash drifting south and east from Iceland.
Airspace was closed or flights cancelled in countries including the UK, the Republic of Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and France.
The ash, which can damage aeroplane engines, was produced by a volcanic eruption under a glacier in Iceland.
Flooding was reported as the glacier melted, and up to 800 people were evacuated from the area on Wednesday.
By Thursday afternoon, the UK had shut its airspace and other countries, from Belgium to Scandinavia, were in the process of following suit.
‘Wait and see’
UK airspace was shut down to all but emergency flights from midday (1100 GMT) on Thursday to 0700 BST (0600 GMT) on Friday, at the earliest. It was also closed in Ireland.
“Volcanic ash represents a significant safety threat to aircraft,” said the UK’s Air Traffic Control Service (Nats).
Airspace closed:
Oslo airport, which is Norway’s largest, was closed on Thursday morning, meaning Norwegian airspace was completely closed.
Belgium, Sweden and Denmark announced they would be shutting their entire airspace, northern Finland was closed and the Netherlands was being closed progressively.
French aviation officials said on Thursday afternoon that the main airports in Paris and other airports in the north of the country were to be closed.
more here
OT but could this develop into a major story?
http://bishophill.squarespace.com/blog/2010/4/15/russell-inquiry-cant-report-the-truth.html
Bill Marsh (10:26:43) :
If this eruption continues for some time it will have an effect on global temps.
Imagine if it continues thru next Thursday. Europe may have to cancel Earth Day because of Mother Nature. haha.
Bill Marsh (10:26:43) :
Not only did Iceland default on their debt to the UK, but now they are shutting down UK airports. England hasn’t invaded any small islands since 1983, but with the TV debates coming up shortly, it might be a good time to start some sabre rattling.
Pictures of the eruptions and surrounding area:
“Iceland’s disruptive volcano”
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/04/icelands_disruptive_volcano.html
Paul
I love this web site but you had every chance to put Wales on the map but blew it?
Any chance Anthony or Charles the Great? If you do please use red letters.
Take care.
REPLY: Thank you but, no chance at all, subzero in fact. Here’s why. I’ve had this argument for 25 years. You see in TV weather almost every week, I’d get some grumbler who lived in a town I call “Outer Podunk” call or write in to complain that his/her town wasn’t included on the weather map. The rationale usually was something like this: “but you show New Podunk, and it’s only a bit bigger than us”.
Of course if I added the town, then the cycle would repeat at an even more granular level.
And so it goes, ad infinitum. The weather map would soon be so cluttered with name detritus as to be unreadable.
So to everyone who wants some map modification to add some named location my answer is “NO”. And please stop asking. The last time I dealt with this issue over England Wales, Scotland etc. I got so fed up with these requests (and my cold) that I took a weekend sabbatical and WUWT had no new stories. Don’t make me go there again.
Also the first image is from ESA, with labels they provided, which I followed for the magnified view. Complain to them for snubbing Wales, I’m not having this argument. – Anthony
The Geological Society of London .
http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/gsl/education/resources/page2969.html
*********************************
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2010/04/paul-marks-technology-correspo.html
The DAILY NEWS reported this recently about the Iceland volcano eruption. The topic that is of concern to me is what could happen potentially if this continues and I quote in part only below from the article. Global warming should be least of Europe’s concerns . There are far bigger risks from potentially sustained cooling due to a variety of other causes.
From Daily News;
“The fiercest eruption that has occurred in Iceland in historic times is the 1783-1758 eruption in Lakagígar.
Approximately 80 percent of all sheep and 50 percent of horses and cattle died due to fluorine poisoning and at least every fifth Icelander, around 10,000 people, died from hunger.
Ash was carried to the European mainland and other continents—thousands died from poisoning in the British Isles.
The climate cooled which caused famine in many countries, including France. So the Lakagígar eruption is believed to have helped fuel the French Revolution in 1789. “
http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news/?cat_id=21123&ew_0_a_id=359727
Just wait until Katla awakens.Thats gonna be quite an event.Good grief.
Stephan (10:04:57) :
“I wanna stake my claim here to previous postings: Abnormal solar Geomagnetic status is affecting tectonic plate movement on earth. Lucky a 9+ R has not occurred in LA area yet…after the usual 9+ in Chile (occurs every 30-40 years). Just speculation of course… but what else is there to explain all the heightened volcanoes, earthquakes etc?”
Domino effect?
One plate slips, which puts pressure on another plate, which then slips or puts large pressure on another plate, which relieves pressure on the back side of another plate, which allows magma to break through the surface, which causes another plate to slip,etc., etc.?
Just thought I’d throw my speculation into the mix, since you asked. My only claim to expertise on volcanos is I know that throwing virgins in to placate the gods has been proven to reduce population.
Stacey (10:41:01) :
I was thinking about writing a story about the extreme tidal changes in the Bristol Channel. I promise to give Wales lots of prominent coverage.
Mother earth is angry! You must atone for your sins by buying carbon indulgences
Not at all!
All earthquakes, all tsunamis, beginning with the december 2004 Sumatra earthquakes and tsunamis, all natural disasters now happening, are caused as a reaction, and as a revenge, a retaliation of our wise Mother Nature against those idiotic ideas promoted by Al Gore and followers, who have dared removing from her breathing atmosphere that blessed CO2 gas which promotes the growth of her most beloved children: the trees.
If this eruption ends up causing a significant cooling effect on the Summer of 2010 here in the States it’s going to demolish all the long range predictions for a hot Summer from the Farmer’s Almanac to 3 other sources that don’t use Co2 as a factor.
The worst thing that could happen right now is turn the promise for a hot Summer for those people in the Midwest to another ‘Summer that wasn’t’, could even happen to us too depending on the effects of this eruption and whether or not another big one follows.
The volcano erupted because the glacier was melting. If the glacier had remained solid, this most likely would not have happened, because the environment above and around the volcano would not have changed. This is a perfect example of how global warming can trigger scary events that accelerate the process out of control. Now, surely other glaciers are melting faster because of this, thinning the barriers above other underground volcanoes.
stevengoddard (10:37:46) :
England hasn’t invaded any small islands since 1983, but with the TV debates coming up shortly, it might be a good time to start some sabre rattling.
Which small islands did England invade in 1983 then? If you are trying to refer to the Falkland Islands a) it wasn’t an invasion but a response to an invasion; b) it wasn’t England but the U.K.; and c) it was in 1982.
If you are looking for a small island invaded in 1983, try Grenada. Oh hang on, that wasn’t by England, was it?
http://climateprogress.org/2010/03/29/coal-mountaintop-removal-epa-permit/
Our forward thinking EPA doesn’t allow mountain top removal. I don’t know how they tackle perps regarding volcanoes.
I guess grounding planes cuts that nasty carbon and can serve as a carbon indulgence/offset to the volcanic polution spewing event.
The Met Office has been wrong the last 10 out of ten years in it’s forecast.
9 for 10 it erred by forecasting much too warm. This may be their lucky day.
BTW, this ash is enormously fertile and will invigorate plant growth after a few rainfalls. It is a well recognized phenomenon in Hawaii.
Guess in the UK, we’ll just sit and wait for the Fimbulvetr.
Can I assume that someone is going to produce long lists of numbers and graphs proving how destructive air travel is, by how much cleaner it becomes when nothing is flying?
Big question is whether Eyjafjallajokull erupting is going to set off Katla down the road apiece, as they have previous on this, and that could get unpleasant.
“kadaka (10:10:59) : Figure everything together, and it’s clear “the Mother Earth that loves me” is the one I should fear the most!”
You always hurt the one you love
The one you shouldn’t hurt at all
You always take the sweetest rose
And crush it till the petals fall
You always break the kindest heart
With a hasty word you can’t recall
So If I broke your heart last night
It’s because I love you most of all
Is this the causative link between low solar activity and global cooling?
http://www.robertb.darkhorizons.org/SSNvsVOL.JPG
If I remember it right, Iceland built dams to channel the lava the last time they had a blowout. Else, there isn’t much anyone can do about a volcano. Get out of the way.
Earth shows who the real boss is.
Henry chance (11:08:21) :
Lucky day : By standing next to the warmth of fresh lava.
🙂 Send in Gore, he’s in tight with GAIA, and I’m sure he’ll be able to toss a few Carbon Credits on the barbie.
ScientistForTruth (10:12:28) : No no, mother Gaia is angry that she is not getting her just cut of the proceeds of carbon indulgences. She now demands a “green” sacrifice as punishment and as a warning. I would think that only the top management will do.
I thought I read on here in one of the posts/threads that this volcano was supposed to not put much ash and gasses into the air due to the type of rock that is located around it…..I looked but can’t find it…..Seems the person or persons that said that were wrong….HMMM could this be the high latitude volcanisum that Bastardi was talking about?
Hernando (10:56:22) said:
Congratulations Hernando. You have just managed a perfect imitation of a loony warmingist.