Get ready for decades of Icelandic fireworks

reply to post by plumranch


Volcanic eruptions: Impacts on environment, ecosystems and health

From the Icelandic Fissure:

Over 8 months in 1783-4, enormous emissions of sulphur dioxide, hydrogen chloride and hydrogen fluoride were disgorged and a volcanic pollutant cloud formed over the island. The cloud, often referred to as a dry acid fog, also fumigated many parts of Europe, causing damage to vegetation and public health problems

Alaskan Perspective:
Someone mentioned that by now we should have airplanes that could handle volcanic ash. Fact is they don't. I've flown through, driven through, swept up and scooped up lots of ash from Alaskan volcanoes over the years. The ash is very abrasive. All leading edges of the plane are affected, abraded. The faster you hit the ash the worse and jet fan blades take it the hardest. Many horror stories of flying in ash have resulted through the years, 2 that I can think of in 747s. Engine out and difficult restart in both cases.

Our Alaskan volcanoes have not had the toxic fumes that are possible from Icelandic counterparts. I remember being out in the ash fall and smelling some pretty heavy sulfur fumes, that's about it.

We removed the ash from our garden plots by raking and sweeping but generally the ash did not seem toxic and possible was beneficial. Much of the thin top soil found in this area of Alaska/ Anchorage/ South Central is made up of ash from various eruptions. My back yard on a cut bank has a 1 ft. layer of light colored ash. Any of this soil is quite fertile if large amounts of lime is added to neutralize the ph which start near 5 and otherwise won't support vegetables, even grass.

Can we bomb the hell out of this sucker? Or drop concrete on it or something.
I wanna catch my plane man!! Is there anything we can do to stop it. Please.
Thank you!

reply to post by ahamarlin


If only! Afraid there is bugger all that can be done with regards to an erupting volcano.

As it stands, however, there is significant feeling and evidence that the ban on flights is a severe over-reaction based on inadequate data.

I suspect if this becomes a long term thing, that the rules will be relaxed and there will be "safe levels" of dust allowed. After all, multiple test flights by various carriers like KLM and BA have proven no damage whatsoever to their aircraft and are eager to fly, but the authorities won't let them.

reply to post by ahamarlin

Can we bomb the hell out of this sucker? Or drop concrete on it or something. I wanna catch my plane man!! Is there anything we can do to stop it. Please. Thank you!

Did I mention that the most frustrating aspect of the volcano affair is if you happen to be on vacation or trying to get somewhere by air. In Alaska it is the airline companies themselves that decide whether they fly, ie. risk their expensive airplanes to make a buck. I remember spending hours going from one airline counter to another to see if they had a flight going anywhere! Flights planned, overbooked then canceled or postponed 24 hrs. Usually when they did get going again they could clear out the backlog in 24 hrs or so.

Man kind has lived without air travel before,we can do it again.We become so reliant on technology that when it is taken away our worlds come tumbling down! Dont forget to charge ya mobile phone - life over!!! Lol.
Good on mother nature for reminding us of how she is the boss!

reply to post by iceblue20-12

Man kind has lived without air travel before,we can do it again.We become so reliant on technology that when it is taken away our worlds come tumbling down!

Live without air travel? Not likely!

Just a bump in the road my friend:

reply to post by stumason

As it stands, however, there is significant feeling and evidence that the ban on flights is a severe over-reaction based on inadequate data.

Your government apparently governs when airplanes can fly.

In the US the airlines decide whether to fly. IMHO and my experience says that the airlines are very much more capable of deciding when to fly! Ie. Almost never has an aircraft had a problem with volcanic ash up here in Alaska because of airline company poor decision making assuming they had good weather/ volcanic information.

It is looking like you have over-reaction by government to me. From satellite imagery you only have ash over Scotland last time I checked.