Get ready for decades of Icelandic fireworks

Get ready for decades of Icelandic fireworks

www.newscientist.com

Volcanologists say the fireworks exploding from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano on Iceland, which is responsible for the ash cloud that is grounding all commercial flights across northern Europe, may become a familiar sight. Increased rumblings under Iceland over the past decade suggest that the area is entering a more active phase, with more eruptions and the potential for some very large bangs.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Perhaps we should get ready for some extended volcanic activity from Iceland!? At least that is what this study is saying.

The Icelandic volcano s have a history of disruption dating back hundreds, before that a thousand years. When the volcanos became active back in 1783-4 it was for an extended period of time. And the major eruption before that was even longer!

The Icelandic volcano complex in 1783 was responsible for the largest ecological/ human disaster in the last 250 years! 10,000 deaths in Iceland alone and untold deaths in the rest of Europe from crop failures due to volcanic gasses and decreased solar/ colder temperatures.

"Volcanic activity on Iceland appears to follow a periodicity of around 50 to 80 years. The increase in activity over the past 10 years suggests we might be entering a more active phase with more eruptions,"

Judging by recent volcanic and earthquake activity, Thordarson and his colleagues believe that Iceland is entering its next active phase and estimate it will last for 60 years or so, peaking between 2030 and 2040.

www.newscientist.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 19/4/10 by plumranch]

This still cracks me up though, how in this day and age a dust cloud can cause sooo much disruption.

Obviously this should identify problems to which suitable solutions should be found for. ...A filter of some sorts?

Most of the time its the Air-lines covering their B-hinds, and nobody wants to see another plane crash in these sensitive times.
And as well as protecting their expensive machines..

I am in the southern hemisphere .i wonder what the impact of a prolonged eruption in Iceland would have here regarding ash clouds, reduced sunlight etc.

That's going to be a long time without planes.

And, more seriously, a lot of people will be dying of a disease virtually indistinguishable from asbestosis.

If I was in Europe with children, I'd be looking for a way to get them out of there.

reply to post by Kailassa


I dont think things will get that bad. The Health implications have been disscused too death on TV and they just say that people who are suscepticle to ailements like Bronchitus/asthma may be effected, but only at a minimum.

Well this could be a real issue economically.

The cost currently to English airlines alone is £900,000,000!!!

That's nearly a billion pounds lost in revenue...

Then there is the knock on effect, such as businesses not being able to operate effectively, post being delayed, people stranded.... etc etc..

The list goes on...

This current disaster may very well wipe up what little gain we had out of the recession and tip us into a double dip.

Now track that forward with this kind of event as common place?????

What about the military implications, although the military are certainly willing to take more of a risk, they are not about to waste millions of pounds worth of hardware in such circumstances either...

I think any company that can develop a 100% proof of a product to prevent jet engines from succumbing to such dust will be one of the fastest growing companies of all time!!

Hope and Peace,

Korg.

Originally posted by plumranch

Get ready for decades of Icelandic fireworks

www.newscientist.com

Volcanologists say the fireworks exploding from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano on Iceland, which is responsible for the ash cloud that is grounding all commercial flights across northern Europe, may become a familiar sight. Increased rumblings under Iceland over the past decade suggest that the area is entering a more active phase, with more eruptions and the potential for some very large bangs.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Amazing that such an event can cause our high tech and modern society to run into chaos and uncertainty. Do we not have appropriate actions to put into place for events like this one?
The whole event is spellbinding and just shows us that we will never be prepared for ANY event that occurs and teh fact that the aviation authority are cautious to launch any more flights shows us this!!

We were talking about this at work today (watercooler chit chat)...what the long term effects of ongoing volcanic activity in Iceland would be...even for us down here in the southern hemisphere.

I thought I read somewhere about the eruption of Krakatoa...that the temp dropped all around the world and the ash in the atmosphere made for some pretty spectacular sunsets even on the other side of the planet. Although this eruption is not that big, if it is consistent then the volume of ash in the atmosphere may have a similar effect.

Anyway, its all very interesting.

reply to post by Korg Trinity


Economically, Yep! Plus theres the off topic 3rd party cost of strikes/industrial action by the airline staff to take into account.
Even though some of the workers may be layed-off (British Airways), this will create a bigger hole in the pockets of the airlines.

One can feel a Bank style bailout coming on, if this continues with the Airlines, and whom will have to pay for it? Us the taxpayers. One good thing has come from this disruption, on a hot sunny day, not a chem trail in the sky. Just seamless blue skies.

Originally posted by Laurauk
One can feel a Bank style bailout coming on, if this continues with the Airlines, and whom will have to pay for it? Us the taxpayers.

Quite!!

This is looking more and more likely that we will see a VAT hike in the not too distant future.

+ Airline tickets and Travel insurance will be astronomical!!

Think I will suffer the rain and holiday inland in future.... Anyone for the Lake District??

Peace Out,

Korg.

Originally posted by Esrom Escutcheon Esquire
reply to post by Kailassa

 

I dont think things will get that bad. The Health implications have been disscused too death on TV and they just say that people who are suscepticle to ailements like Bronchitus/asthma may be effected, but only at a minimum.

Well, not to start worrying people, but some are saying that there is a toxic level of flouride in the ash cloud itself: (I posted this in another thread as well, but it seems important here as well)

Fluoride Dangers from Icelandic Ash Cloud
The last time this volcano blew it was deadly

"The last time Eyjafjallajokull had an episode was in 1821, pouring tonnes of ash containing toxic fluoride gas into the atmosphere. It lasted not 24 hours, but until 1823, causing the deaths of many cattle and sheep through fluor poisoning. Eyjafjallajokull has had four eruptions in the last thousand years: in 920, 1612, 1821-1823 and now in 2010. All of the previous eruptions were precursors to more massive activity from the neighbouring Katla volcano but as yet geologists have not registered any seismic activity."

Source: www.iceagenow.com...

According to the article, the deposits from the ash continued to be dangerous for two years.

I'm not trying to worry away or promote fear-mongering, but if I lived there, I would want to know if there was anything potentially dangerous about breathing this air.

reply to post by plumranch


S&F

To those recommending tech interventions:

How about we accept the fact that our planet is a dynamic system, quit trying to muck with things we don't really understand - and learn to live with it?

...Of course, that implies international cooperation. Wotta concept.

reply to post by lpowell0627


I havent heard about Fluoride in this cloud?
I thought the cloud, if anything just had sulpher dioxide?

(And yes, Ive read some posts that mention how the deaths in Scotland where up by 10000 or something, allthough I cant remmember but it was something like that)

Perhaps now is a good time to look at modern airship travel again? Flying a lot lower, with clean and green proulsion systems, they'd probably not be affected by this sort of scenario.

There is a huge knock-on effect to this flight ban. I usually see loads of taxis on my early morning commute along the M25, all doing the airport runs to Heathrow and Gatwick - today, as on Friday last week, none to be seen. Then there is the huge amount of perishable goods, fruit and veg etc, that is imported by air every day (or not), not to mention the non-perishable goods.
So, when you start looking at the flight ban, it becomes apparent that this affects far more than just a few holidaymakers or business travelers stuck away from home.

Originally posted by soficrow
reply to post by plumranch

 

S&F

To those recommending tech interventions:

How about we accept the fact that our planet is a dynamic system, quit trying to muck with things we don't really understand - and learn to live with it?

...Of course, that implies international cooperation. Wotta concept.

I couldn't agree more!!

If I was in the filter industry I would have my R&D guys working day and night on this problem... Necessity is the mother of all invention and this surely is a massive requirement to protect Jet engines against particulate!!

Peace Out,

Korg.

Originally posted by Esrom Escutcheon Esquire
reply to post by lpowell0627

 

I havent heard about Fluoride in this cloud?
I thought the cloud, if anything just had sulpher dioxide?

(And yes, Ive read some posts that mention how the deaths in Scotland where up by 10000 or something, allthough I cant remmember but it was something like that)

Well, according this this, the farmers seem to be taking precautions in order to protect their herds. I would imagine if it can make an animal sick, it can't be good for humans either. I'm not sure how slowly/quickly a person can feel or see the affects of fluoride poisoning, so I'm not sure when you would see any related illness spread.

Better to be safe than sorry I would think.

April 17, 2010
SKOGAR, Iceland — In Europe, the volcanic ash danger travels at high altitudes, but for Iceland's farmers the problem is very much on the ground.

Farmers across the region where the volcano erupted this week under the Eyjafjallajokull glacier have been scrambling to protect their herds from inhaling or ingesting the ash, which can cause internal bleeding, long-term bone damage and teeth loss.

Near Skogar, south of the volcano, the ash blew down from the mountain, blotting out the sunlight and covering everything — pastures, animals and humans — in a thick, gray paste.

Berglind Hilmarsdottir, a dairy farmer, teamed up with neighbors Saturday to round up her cattle, some 120 in all, and get them to shelter. In the panic, some of the animals got lost in the fog of ash, and the farmers had to drive around searching for them.

"The risk is of fluoride poisoning if they breathe or eat too much," Hilmarsdottir said through a white protective mask.

Source: www.google.com...

This is a good thread. The possibilities of what the future holds is so uncertain as to render all theories equally improbable.

Iceland has had a lot of trouble lately, politically, economically, and geologically. Must be some tough people living up that way to weather this barrage of storms.

reply to post by lpowell0627


I just think, most likely that it may get into the water supply.
And diffrent tolerences may have to be taken into consideration on the size of the person or animal.
And fair enougth,theres the smoke inhaleation to consider.

But back to fluoride, Im sure they put that/considerd putting in the Water here in the UK. Obviously regulated though.

And yes, better safe than sorry, just like the way they grounded the planes.