Eyjafjallajökull, Ash, and Eruption Impacts
The recent eruption at Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland has been producing a cloud of steam and volcanic ash that has been affecting air traffic. We will continue to update this page to provide links to information about the eruption, volcanic ash, and other related topics.
Links to Information about the Eruption
- The Nordic Volcanological Center at the Institute of Earth Sciences, Iceland (http://www2.norvol.hi.is/page/ies_Eyjafjallajökull_eruption), provides current information regarding the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull.
- The London Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC - http://metoffice.com/aviation/vaac/index.html) issues Volcanic Ash Advisories graphics (http://metoffice.com/aviation/vaac/vaacuk_vag.html) of airspace that might contain volcanic ash from the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull.
- The Icelandic Met Office provides daily status reports on the activity (http://en.vedur.is/earthquakes-and-volcanism/articles/nr/1884).
- The Icelandic Met Office provides frequently asked questions about the eruption (http://en.vedur.is/earthquakes-and-volcanism/articles/nr/1880).
Links to Additional Information
- The Volcanic Ash website (http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/ash/index.html) contains information about what the ash is and guidance to communities affected by ash ash and aviation safety.
- Volcanic Ash--A "Hard Rain" of Abrasive Particles (http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs027-00/), USGS Fact Sheet FS-027-00
- Volcanic Gas and Climate Change (http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hazards/gas/climate.php) - also see the other pages on Volcanic Gas, SO2 Aerosols, and Volcanic Air Pollution
- USGS Volcano Alert Notification System (http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/activity/alertsystem/).
- The Alaska interagency operating plan for volcanic ash episodes (http://www.avo.alaska.edu/pdfs/cit3996_2008.pdf) details how State and Federal agencies, including the U.S. Geological Survey, the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Weather Service, and the Air Force Weather Agency, respond to eruptions affecting air travel in Alaska and along the North Pacific air routes between Asia and North America. Similar plans exist for the conterminous U.S. and for volcanic activity in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands north of Saipan and Guam.
- Remote sensing images (http://sites.google.com/site/iavceirscweb/eruptions/eyja).
- Science article Iceland Eruptions Fuel Interest in Volcanic Gas Monitoring (http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/328/5977/410).
Recent U.S. Impacts from Volcanic Ash
2009 Redoubt, Alaska eruption: Between March 22 and April 5 the eruption resulted in approximately 60 re-routes, 20 diversions, and 10 turn backs with many night operations into Anchorage cancelled. Anchorage International was closed for 1 day and express parcel air carriers had to move operations for several weeks.
2009 Sarychev Peak, Kuriles, Russia eruption: Between June 12 and 15 the eruption resulted in 65 re-routes, 6 diversions, 2 turnbacks, and 12 unscheduled fuel stops.