Volcanic Ash in Iceland

Another volcanic ash caused devastating effects just recently. The volcanic ashes caused several flights to be disrupted across Northern Europe. In UK, there was an order to ground all flights because of the safety risk posed by the Icelandic ash. Various flights in UK, Norway, Sweden, and Ireland were canceled and several airports in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and Glasgow was closed due to the volcanic ash in Iceland.

It has been said that volcanic ash in Iceland is a threat to aviation safety. In other words, volcanic ashes are primarily hazardous to aviation operations. Volcanic ash are plumes of dust spewed out by volcanoes usually contain tiny particles of glass, pulverized rock and silicates. The result is a cloud of material resembling sandpaper. There are myriad reasons why volcanic ash is hazardous to aviation operations. First, the abrasive affect of the ash can both strip vital surfaces and bung up an engine. Concerns about visibility is just even a minor issue compared to this one. Second, it is most likely that pulverized rock colliding at high speed with a speeding jetliner can blast away surfaces inside the engine. Lastly, aircraft avionics and electronics can also be damaged. In order to avoid accidents while on flight, authorities must accurately detect volcanic ash and allow the crew to be aware of it as soon as possible. 

It has been reported that the cause of volcanic ash to spread is the eruption under the Eyjafjallajokull glacier. According to Pall Einarsson who is a geophysicist at the University of Iceland, the seismographs are showing that since this morning the intensity of the eruption seems to be growing. There are also damages around the area. It was reported by the local media that to the east of the volcano, thousands of hectares of land are covered by a thick layer of ash while a cloud blotted out the sun in some areas along the southern coast of Iceland. Besides, hot fumes had melted up to a third of the glacial ice covering the crater, which caused a nearby river to burst its banks, and frequent explosions on the floor of the crater sounded like bombs going off. According to Yahoo News, about 700 people from rural areas near the volcano were evacuated Thursday due to flash flooding, as water carrying icebergs the size of small houses rushed down the mountain. Although most evacuees were allowed to return home after the floods subsided, more flash floods are expected as long as the volcano keeps erupting. Indeed, the volcanic ash in Iceland caused tremendous effects to the people around the area and the aviation industry.

Source: Icelandic volcano eruption intensifies