My Zimbio
Top Stories

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Iceland Volcano Ash Cloud Spreads;Delays Flights

The Grimsvotn volcano eruption in Iceland causes flight delays as the ash cloud spreads (20Pics)

The Grimsvotn volcano, which lies beneath the ice of the uninhabited Vatnajokull 
glacier in southeast Iceland, began erupting on Saturday May 21 for the first time 
since 2004. It was the volcano's largest eruption in 100 years
The ash from Grimsvotn - about 120 miles (200 kilometres) east of the capital, 
Reykjavik - turned the sky black and rained down on nearby buildings, cars and fields
Civil protection workers helped farmers get their animals into shelters and urged 
residents to wear masks and stay indoors
The UK's Meteorological Office, which runs Europe's Volcanic Ash Advisory 
Centre, said the plume from the volcano would spread largely northeast, but 
some ash would creep south and east, toward the crowded skies over northern 
Europe. Where it goes after that depends on the intensity of the eruption 
and weather patterns
Scientists said the eruption won't have the global impact of last year's eruption
 some 80 miles (130 kilometres) away at the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, which 
left 10 million travellers stranded around the world
Icelandic air traffic control operator ISAVIA established a 120 nautical mile 
(220 kilometre) no-fly zone around the volcano, closed Keflavik airport, the 
country's main hub, and cancelled all domestic flights
Keflavik airport has had to cancel at least 40 international flights
University of Iceland geophysicist Magnus Tumi Gudmundsson said the
 Grimsvotn eruption was "much bigger and more intensive" than last year's 
eruption and 10 times as powerful as Grimsvotn's last explosion in 2004
"There is a very large area in southeast Iceland where there is almost total 
darkness and heavy fall of ash," he said. "But it is not spreading nearly as 
much. The winds are not as strong as they were (last year)," said University 
of Iceland geophysicist Magnus Tumi Gudmundsson
Tourists leave the Islandia Hotel in Nupur as ash continues to fall
Grimsvotn's eruption in 2004 lasted for several days and briefly disrupted
 international flights. The volcano also erupted in 1998, 1996 and 1993
Sparsely populated Iceland is one of the world's most geologically unstable 
countries, sitting astride the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the Eurasian and 
North American continental plates rub up against one another
Frequent earthquakes push magma from deep underground toward the surface, 
and volcanic eruptions are common. The ground is covered by hardened black 
lava from past eruptions and steam belches from the earth - harnessed by
 Icelanders for geothermal power
An ash sample awaits examination at the command centre in 
Kirkjubaejarklaustur as authorities prepare to deal with the effects of the eruption
Footprints are seen on a surface of ash outside a gas station in 
Kirkjubaejarklaustur, Reykjavik
Volcanic eruptions in Iceland often spark flash flooding from melting glacier
 ice but rarely cause deaths. Usually they only have a local impact, but 
when they do draw the world's attention, it's in a spectacular way
Geophysicist Magnus Tumi Gudmundsson said the ash from the Grimsvotn 
eruption is coarser than in last year's eruption, falling to the ground more quickly
A farmer prepares to herd the farm's sheep indoors to shelter from the ash
 fallout in Mulakot
A dead bird lies on Higway One near the town of Kirkjubaejarklaustur in southeast Iceland
A smoke plumes from the Grimsvotn volcano





Join Alex Jones' Infowars Business Team:
Products: Suzanne Somers, Dr. Joel Wallach and many others.


Somalife's GhP Anti-Aging: Regain your Strength.

Search & Win

No comments:

Post a Comment

10 Day Weight Loss Pills

Popular Posts

URGENT - Your LIBERTY at RISK


GET A GROUPON!


Curious about what the future holds? Click here to find out how you can receive a 10 minute psychic reading from Psychic Source.

Calculator-1.com - The Best Free Online CalculatorŠ½

Fine Art - Painting Lessons: Real Art!
What is Bio-Farming? Can anyone do it?
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

CURRENT MOON
My Zimbio
Top Stories
 
My Zimbio
Top Stories Get 100 FREE Visitors to Your Website!
eXTReMe Tracker
AyurCat for Cat Health Care