Volcanic eruption closes down UK/Scandinavian airports

[Broomstick]

For the sake of the stranded travelers, and the industry, I hope the situation improves soon.

[Edi]

We were supposed to head to Italy on Wednesday. Fucking hell...

[El Moose Monstero]

If anyone is in areas recieving ashfall and has access to a large plastic sheet or bucket, could you please put one out and recover some ash as per the letter below? This is the email my supervisor sent round putting out a call for ash, so if the ash is dry, it's perfect, if wet, it's ok but we need to know, but if people have ash piling up on cars or are likely to be somewhere where it is easy to collect, then please, think of the poor volcanologists!

Dear All,

I'm sure you're all aware of the ongoing volcanic eruption in Iceland. This event is exceptional and provides a unique opportunity to investigate the regional effects of volcanic clouds on the atmosphere and environment.

With colleagues and Cambridge and elsewhere, we're currently deploying a range of instruments to measure particle and SO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. According to the Met Office (http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/corporate/p ... lcano.html), the ash cloud should pass over Scotland, Scandinavia and northeastern part of Russia later today. Latest new already indicates ash deposition in Shetland (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8623950.stm). We're also trying to establish a network for collecting ash across these regions if the dust falls to the ground.

I was wondering if you have friends/colleagues in Scotland, Shetland, Scandinavia and Russia who might be able to collect ash for us? If you happen to have bucket or a plastic sheet (the larger the surface area, the
better) that you or someone could peg out in the garden that would be greatly appreciated. You can also brush the ash falling onto cars. We only need small amounts (but the larger the sample, the better!). The ash can be poured into a plastic bag for storage and sent to me at the address below.
The following information should be attached to the sample:

______________________________________________________________

Sampling location:
Time of collection:
Ash was exposed to rain: YES/NO
Other observations:
Your name and email (optional):


Please send the sample to:

Pierre Delmelle
Environment Department
University of York
YO10 5DD York, UK
Email: pd512 @ york.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (1904) 434058

[Broomstick]

That reminds me of when we last had an earthquake in my area, the geology guys were asking us ordinary folks to fill out a short survey on local effects (if any). It's so cool when regular folks can help science.

Of course, it still doesn't elminate the aggravation and inconvenience....

[folti78]

Well, first wave is off for the Scotts:

Statement on Icelandic volcanic eruption: Friday April 16, 1445

The cloud of volcanic ash continues to move south through the UK and the eruption in Iceland continues.

Following a review of the latest Met Office information, NATS advises that restrictions preventing flights in controlled airspace over England and Wales will remain in place until 0700 (UK time) tomorrow, Saturday 17 April, at the earliest. From 1900 (UK time) today ATC restrictions will be lifted in a large part of Scottish airspace including Scottish airports, Shetland, Orkneys and also Northern Ireland.

On this basis, North Atlantic traffic can also operate to/from points in this airspace. Please note these arrangements do not mean that all flights will operate. Anyone hoping to travel today or tomorrow should contact their airline before going to the airport.

We are looking for opportunities when the ash cloud moves sufficient for us to enable some flights to operate under individual coordination with ATC. Some aircraft were able to operate at Manchester this morning, although restrictions are now reapplied to Manchester.

We hope there may be some opportunity from the north into Newcastle after 0100 (UK time) tomorrow - Saturday. We will review further Met Office information and at 2030 (UK time) we will advise further arrangements. In general, the situation is dynamic and subject to change.

We continue to work closely with airports, airlines, and the rest of Europe to understand and mitigate the implications of the volcanic eruption.

As for the rest of us, one coworker stuck at Helsinki today, 2 managed to get to Stuttgart before they closed it down yesterday. No official news yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Hungarian airspace would get it's lockdown around midnight. (based on the London VAAC's latest advisory graph.)

A question for the board's Finns: how reliable this Finnish article? It's claimed on other board, that the pictures show ash in the engines of Finnish F-18's after they flew through the cloud yesterday.

[Siege]

According to news reports airspace over the Netherlands will be closed until at least 6:00 CET. I haven't seen any reports of ashfall, but the clouds do look a little weird and the light's... Well, sorta misty I guess. The meteorological guys on the radio have promised a spectacular sunset because of the ash in the atmosphere -- we'll see if it beats the one I saw a few years back over a coal-stoked Polish industrial city.

[Broomstick]

How come they never mention the sunrises with volcanic ash are spectacular, too? It's not just as sunset, you know.

Anyhow - here's what volcanic ash in a jet engine looks like:

Some of the lighter stuff is just powdery stuff, it might (might) be blown out of the engine by the airstream. However, the dark stuff is ash that has remelted in the heat of the engine is now thoroughly stuck to the engine parts. Basically, the parts are coated in solidified lava. IF an engine can be restarted some of that might break off... but not all of it will. Needless to say, said engine will NOT work efficiently! Between that and the abrasive effects of the unmelted ash hitting the mechanism as near supersonic speeds (the airstream in a jet engine is fast) it's usually not practical to fix such an engine, cheaper just to install a new one. Assuming the airplane landed safely.

And that's what the airlines are trying to avoid with the flight stoppage. Yes, they're bleeding money with everything grounded, but if they tried to fly in that ash cloud they'd bleed money due to replacing engines. And again, that's assuming everyone would land safely - not something to take for granted under such circumstances.

[Siege]

How come they never mention the sunrises with volcanic ash are spectacular, too? It's not just as sunset, you know.

A good point -- unfortunately however the next sunrise is on a Saturday, and I fully intend to still be asleep at that time .

[Broomstick]

Ah, details - I miss a lot of celestial events myself, due to either asleep or inside. Like that massive fireball over the Midwest a couple nights ago - if I'd been outside I would have seen it, but no....

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

There was this British Airways jet that flew through a hot plume of volcanic ash, stripped off most of the paint, the engines were a wreck, and then it barely survived the trip. The engines worked as long as the plane was flying fortunately, though they stopped once and nearly sent the plane crashing. Fortunately, the pilots managed to restart the engines. I think that was over Indonesia.

[Ekiqa]

For the sake of the stranded travelers, and the industry, I hope the situation improves soon.

For the sake of the planet, I hope it doesn't.

Also, this would be an amzing, once in a life time opportunity for a study on the effects on modern society with no air traffic. In the 1790's a major Icelandic eruption lasted for months, and caused widespread famine throught western Europe.

[Sky Captain]

Here I found a webcam showing the flood plains near that volcano. About half an hour earlier a fresh surge of water came out leaving chunks of ice in the floodplain.

http://www.vodafone.is/eldgos/en#

[Broomstick]

For the sake of the stranded travelers, and the industry, I hope the situation improves soon.

For the sake of the planet, I hope it doesn't.

Mankind isn't going to uninvent powered flight any more than we're going to give up agriculture. It's too damn useful.

At some point we might have to find an alternative to petroleum, but as there have already been airplanes powered by peanut oil, steam engine, and ethanol the problem is not insurmountable, though it would certainly be disruptive. Petroleum based fuel is more efficient than the alternatives... but only so long as it is available. If today's Jet A disappeared we would make due with less efficient alternatives, but we would not give up flying.

Also - if you really want to help the planet by getting rid of a form of transportation ban the automobile. The contributions to global problems by way of airplane are dwarfed beside the contribution of the auto.

Also, this would be an amzing, once in a life time opportunity for a study on the effects on modern society with no air traffic.

We had a taste of that already in 2001.

And while you might find it fascinating it really would result in significant hardships for many, and for some the end result of a world without airplanes would be death.

In the 1790's a major Icelandic eruption lasted for months, and caused widespread famine throught western Europe.

Ah, yes - something to look forward to...

You are, I take it, assuming that you will NOT be one of the many millions affected by a potential lack of air travel? It's always easier to impose hardship on others, after all....

[Serafina]

For the sake of the stranded travelers, and the industry, I hope the situation improves soon.

For the sake of the planet, I hope it doesn't.

Also, this would be an amzing, once in a life time opportunity for a study on the effects on modern society with no air traffic. In the 1790's a major Icelandic eruption lasted for months, and caused widespread famine throught western Europe.

And what makes you think it won't cause a famine again if it continues for months, dimwit?
It's not like we have surpassed the need for sunlight in agriculture.

Of course europe won't really starve - it's too rich for that - but such a major disruption in the food production will be felt - not by the europeans, but by other people around the world. And THEY will starve - to death, possibly.

So yeah, go fuck off - any temporal benefit by not flying is hardly worth the hardship caused by that fact alone, and a far cry from being worth human lives.

[Admiral Valdemar]

With respect, I'm thinking Ekiqa is talking about the present situation remaining, not a more powerful eruption causing more problems. The ash cloud is only a threat to aircraft, and has absolutely no effect on sunlight levels or temperatures (if anything, the lack of airliners may contribute more, as it did around NYC in 2001).

So if the pulsing eruptions continue and the jetstream disperses the cloud, it could still cause heavy disruption to the air travel industry, but not risk lives via famine. In any case, the green revolution made excess produce the norm in the First World, so lack of food is not an issue. Cost, is another matter...

I've just been out for a walk around the fields. The clear azure blue sky devoid of aircraft is different.

[Sky Captain]

http://www.vodafone.is/eldgos/en#

Note: if you skip back to 14 hr 40 min and then go forward minute by minute you can track how recent meltwater surge came down and spread across the floodplain. Also in second image it`s possible to sometimes see eruption plume between the clouds.

[Admiral Valdemar]

i think its disgusting that we can put a man on the moon but we cant handle a cloud of dust maybe we should concetrate on things on this planet and forget about other planets
- david roberts, leicester england, 16/4/2010 17:10

Im looking outside my wondow now in north london and everything seems clear, a little cloud, but mostly blue skies. Doesnt seem too bad.
- joelle, london, england, 16/4/2010 16:50

A small jet has just flown over our house at about 3,000 feet, probably taken off from Biggin Hill. It was at about the same altitude as the commercial planes which normally circle around here, for landing at Heathrow.

Why can't commercial airliners travel at this height until clear of the ash, then climb to their correct altitude?
- Phil, Purley, Surrey, 16/4/2010 17:18

Ah, Daily Wail readers.

[Edi]

A question for the board's Finns: how reliable this Finnish article? It's claimed on other board, that the pictures show ash in the engines of Finnish F-18's after they flew through the cloud yesterday.

That article is, as far as I know, accurate, even though Iltalehti is a tabloid trash paper.

The source of the pictures is the Finnish Defense Forces itself and the article refers to a Hornet patrol that flew in the northern portion of the country yesterday. The pics have been taken with a fiber cam from inside the engine when post-flight checkup discovered volcanic ash in and outside the intake vents. Those birds are going nowhere before their engines get a full overhaul.

[Admiral Valdemar]

Fix those F/A-18s then get them to bomb that volcano. This is war, Edi, and Finns don't take that shit, y'hear? And don't forget your delayed flight.

Those Icelandics really are adept at evil.

[Uraniun235]

I've just been out for a walk around the fields. The clear azure blue sky devoid of aircraft is different.

I remember noticing that back in 2001, shortly after Sept 11. We were doing marching band practice and there were none of the usual contrails, and it was slightly eerie to know that nobody would be flying that day.

[Admiral Valdemar]

I recall if being similar here, though this natural event has caused a far more disastrous culling in flight around our air space and, indeed, Europe and Scandinavia in general. The real time ATC radar sites show a vacuum over the British Isles (apart from N. Ireland, Western Scotland and the Scilly Isles or similar island hopper flight zones now).

[Sky Captain]

Another webcam with a better view of erupting volcano ash plume

http://eldgos.mila.is/eyjafjallajokull- ... olfsfelli/

[The Jester]

And so now my girlfriend is stuck in Hamburg. I seriously hope this clears up soon...

[Siege]

There's been several people talking on the radio about what a boon this temporary suspension of practically all aviation over Western Europe is to the environment. Setting aside for a moment that I doubt much good can come of no 747s flying for two or three days before everything's back the way it was I still have to wonder -- what about these tons and tons of ash floating about the stratosphere or wherever? I'm far from an expert on such matters but I imagine that even though the stuff's going to come down eventually it's not all that great for the environment to suddenly have that much pumice up in the air either.

[Admiral Valdemar]

At the moment, it's too dispersed to really be that bad outside Iceland. However, if it persists for months, the thin cloud that is affecting air travel may become something significant enough to fall to Earth and cause major problems with glacier melt and farming, to say nothing of those with respiratory problems or even using machinery where the micronised stone and glass get into delicate mechanisms/electronics.