Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Seismic Activity increases but Ash Plume decreases

Flights resume in Europe but travel chaos not over

To read full article quoted below click on word button "Flights"

Although seismic activity at the volcano has increased, the ash plume appeared to be shrinking Tuesday. Still, scientists were worried that the activity could trigger an even larger eruption at the nearby Katla volcano, which sits on the massive Myrdalsjokull icecap and has erupted every 80 years or so — the last time in 1918.

"The activity of one volcano sometimes triggers the next one, and Katla has been active together with Eyjafjallajokull in the past," said Pall Einarsson, professor of geophysics at the Institute of Earth Sciences at the University of Iceland. end quote.

So, for now since the ash cloud is less planes can fly under it and keep their engines from temporarily or permanently not operating from the ash dust. However, since seismic activity is now increasing there is much more likelihood of the Katla Volcano going off soon.

I think that alternative means of traveling rather than airlines as well as the location of alternate airports, ships, high speed trains, buses must be considered as well as the new added financial cost of traveling needs to be seriously considered by anyone flying to or from Europe in the next weeks or months. Also, this could affect the East Coast of the United States because of the way these ash clouds move. I was reading that it has already affected I believe air traffic in New Brunswick, Canada.

1 comment:

Richard said...

Hi fred, just came across your blog I am in England and was just searching Katla which I am extremely worried about too. Keep up the posts with any news you hear I will come back with anything I can pick up too