European Space Agency. "Envisat Captures Renewed Volcanic Activity."
ScienceDaily 7 May 2010. 8 May 2010 <
http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2010/05/100507101914.htm>.
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Icelandic meteorologists and geophysicists warned Eyjafjoell would emit a larger ash cloud after renewed activity |
Iceland's volcano sends more ash towards Europe
(AFP) – 1 day ago
REYKJAVIK, Iceland — Iceland's Eyjafjoell volcano threatened European skies with a new ash cloud Friday raising the risk of more flight cancellations, officials said.
"Renewed and more intensive ash eruptions took place overnight and as a result, the area of potential higher ash contamination is forecast to extend from Iceland as far south as the western edge of the Iberian Peninsula during the day," Eurocontrol, the European intergovernmental air traffic control coordinator, said.
"Lava has stopped running from the crater and the eruption is now again an explosive eruption," Icelandic geologist Bjoern Oddson said.
"When there's more explosive activity, the ash does become finer and if the activity increases, it could possibly cause problems in Europe's airspace," he said, noting "the ash is spreading to the south-east" of Iceland.
Late Thursday, Icelandic meteorologists and geophysicists warned Eyjafjoell would emit a larger ash cloud after renewed activity, though Oddson said it had stabilised overnight.
"Right now, we're not seeing nearly as much ash fall as in the first few days of the eruption", which paralysed European flight traffic for a week from April 14, he said.
The ash, at sufficient concentrations, poses a hazard for plane engines.
According to the Brussels-based Eurocontrol, the areas where the volcanic ash concentration were likely to exceed engine tolerance levels were to the west of north-west Europe.
"Transatlantic flights are being re-routed south of the affected area which could cause delays to these flights."
The ash cloud was predicted to reach up to 35,000 feet (some 10,500 metres), far higher than in recent days and thus affecting more overflying planes.
The cloud caused Ireland to shut its airspace from 2300 GMT on Thursday to 1200 GMT Friday, the third closure in as many days.
The Faroe Islands, a Danish territory in the North Atlantic, also shut airspace from Thursday night until at least 0000 GMT Saturday.
The Portuguese air traffic agency NAV said ash was expected in the country's airspace north of Lisbon later Friday but would have a limited effect, causing only some rerouting.
Last month the Icelandic volcanic caused travel chaos, with airspaces closed over several European nations.
It was the biggest aerial shutdown in Europe since World War II, with more than 100,000 flights cancelled and eight million passengers affected. The airline industry said it lost some 2.5 billion euros.
Source
Images show volcano intensifying
| By Victoria Gill
Science reporter, BBC News |
BBC science reporter Victoria Gill describes the volcanic ash plume images
The UK Met Office has released a vivid series of images that show the Eyjafjallajokull volcano intensifying.
In the satellite pictures, which use infrared wavelengths, the ash plume appears as bright orange colours spreading out from the volcano.
The plume gradually increased in size over a period of approximately six hours on Thursday morning.
This animation is made up of a series of 13 images captured every 30 minutes from 0600 BST.
The Met Office confirmed that activity from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano had been increasing since Wednesday night, taking the ash plume to a height over 30,000 ft.
But the UK's air traffic control authority, Nats, said that the high density area of the volcanic ash cloud was now lying "off the west of Ireland" and that, as a result there were currently no restrictions within UK airspace.
A Met Office spokesperson also said that the winds forecast over the next few days were likely "to keep the plume out to the west".
New clarity
Dr Jim Haywood, an aerosol research scientist from the Met Office explained that it had previously not been possible to capture such clear pictures.
"This is the best set of images of the plume that I've seen," said Dr Haywood, who has been monitoring the ash plume since the volcanic eruption entered its explosive phase on 14 April, and began to release the plume of ash that has caused so many problems in the UK.
"The reason it's so clear is that there's no cloud around at the moment," he explained.
"If there is any cloud above or below the plume, it's much more difficult to see."
Because it was exploding through a glacier, the Eyjafjallajokull eruption had been creating its own cirrus cloud.
"It appears now there's a clean clear signal because all of the ice above the volcano has melted," said Dr Haywood.
In the rest of the image, low clouds appear predominantly yellow, while high ice clouds appear dark red, brown or black.
Images are available for view at sourceIf this last image comes through, you'll see an image taken of Eyjafjallajökull this morning. The volcano is emitting 70 tons of ash per second. 
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