WARNING: Global Disasters to Intensify

SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,739 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

FIRE-EARTH Models show that global disasters could intensify in the 9 month period starting about July 2011 compared with the previous corresponding period (pcp).

Disaster Calendar 2011 – June 12 Entry

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• China. Death toll from heavy rain, flooding and landslides in central and southern china has climbed to at least 100, with about 80 others reported missing, reports said. The extreme weather events have affected up to 10 million people in 13 provinces, destroying about half million hectares of crops.

• NY, USA. The WH has declared 21 upstate New York counties as disaster areas because of the damage caused by storms, flooding and tornadoes from April 26 to May 8.  The declaration covers the following counties: Allegany, Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Delaware, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, Madison, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Steuben, Tioga, Ulster, Warren, and Yates.

• North Dakota, USA. A presidential disaster declaration has been issued for major portions of North Dakota including a  total of 42 counties, the Spirit Lake Nation, the Three Affiliated Tribes and the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa reservations. Counties covered by the declaration included Barnes, Benson, Billings, Bottineau, Burke, Burleigh, Cass, Cavalier, Dickey, Divide, Eddy, Foster, Grand Forks, Grant, Griggs, Kidder, LaMoure, Logan, McHenry, McIntosh, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Mountrail, Nelson, Pembina, Pierce, Ramsey, Ransom, Renville, Richland, Rolette, Sargent, Sheridan, Steele, Stutsman, Towner, Traill, Walsh, Ward, Wells and Williams.

• South Dakota, USA. Yankton county has been added to SD flooding federal disaster list, which already included Aurora, Beadle, Brookings, Brown, Buffalo, Clark, Codington, Day, Edmunds, Faulk, Grant, Hamlin, Hand, Hughes, Hyde, Jackson, Jerauld, Kingsbury, Lake, Marshall, Miner, Moody, Perkins, Potter, Roberts, Sanborn, Spink Stanley Sully and Union counties.

• China. Some 103 children aged 14 or younger have been seriously poisoned and hundreds of others sickened from lead pollution in eastern china, a report said. The victims were found to have every high levels of lead contamination in their blood.

Probability of a Nuclear Disaster – by Country

Places Most at Risk of Nuclear Disasters – Global

Nuclear power is harmful to the planet and all lifeforms. Any nuclear disaster striking anywhere on the planet has global implications.

Currently 32 countries operate nuclear power plants, 27 of which are building even more reactor units. Fifteen other countries that are currently without nuclear power  plan to build one or more plants.

Probability of a Nuclear Disaster by Country

• Japan (880)³
• United States (865)
• Taiwan (850)
• Belgium, China, France, Finland, India,  South Korea, United Kingdom, Ukraine, Russia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Armenia, Slovenia, Croatia, Romania,  Hungary, Bulgaria, Spain,  Pakistan, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico,  South Africa, Canada (810)
• Germany, Sweden, Netherlands (800)
• Switzerland  (750)

NOTES:

1. The list represents a snapshot of events at the time of calculating the probabilities. Any forecast posted  here is subject to numerous variable factors.
2. Figures in the bracket represent the probability of an incident occurring out of 1,000; the forecast duration is valid for the next 50  months.
3. Probability includes a significant worsening of Fukushima nuclear disaster, and future quakes forecast for Japan.
4. A nuclear incident is defined as a level 5 (Accident With Wider Consequences), or worse, on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES). See below.
5. Safety issues considered in compiling these lists include the age, number of units and capacity of nuclear reactors in each place, previous incidents, probability of damage from human-induced catastrophes such as war, as well as human-enhanced natural disasters, e.g, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic activity, hurricanes, tornadoes, storms, wildfires, flooding… , and other geophysical events.]
6. The  Blog’s knowledge concerning the extent to which those factors described in (3) might worsen during the forecast period greatly influences the forecasts.

Related Links

• Japan Earthquakes, Disasters: Recent History and FIRE-EARTH Forecasts
• WARNING: JPTRMT1

FIRE-EARTH Disaster Links

• 2011 Disaster Calendar – June
• 2011 Much More Disastrous
• 2010 Disasters [Includes Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters: 2011 SIX TIMES MORE DISASTROUS THAN 2010
• 2011 Disaster Calendar

Global Tectonics Warning – March 12

FIRE-EARTH FORECAST:

NEXT MAJOR TECTONICS EVENT COULD OCCUR IN THE U.S.

Based on their Earth Model, FEWW Moderators believe the world’s next catastrophic tectonics event could occur in western United States with a probability of 0.74.

Notes:

1. The definition for western United States includes offshore west cost of the country.

2. ‘Tectonics event’ includes earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other geological events.

3. ‘Internet Prophets’ may not reprint forecasts made by FIRE-EARTH without quoting the source.

Related Links:

• US Volcanoes: Blasts from the Past?
• FEWW Volcano Links
• Volcanoes
• FEWW Earthquake Links

Renewed Eyjafjallajökull ash causes more air chaos

Dozens of airports closed, hundreds of flights canceled,  many more diverted.

Renewed eruption at Eyjafjallajökull caused more volcanic ash to invade European airspace, forcing a new wave of flight cancellations and airport closures in Spain, as well as parts of Ireland Italy, Portugal, Scotland and the England.

At least 28 airports were forced to close from several hours to more than a day, causing hundreds of cancellations, and many flight diversions.

There were also flight cancellation to and from Switzerland, Southern and Central France, Northern Italy and Northern Portugal.

IMO Status Report said the eruption was  still in an explosive phase,  with the plume reaching a height of about 5km.

Volcanic Ash Shuts Down Spanish Airports

Eyjafjallajökull from Hvolsvelli webcam

Eyjafjallajökull eruption seen from Hvolsvelli webcam. Top of the plume is seen emerging and towering above the clouds. Click image to enlarge.

Volcanic Ash Advisory from London – Issued graphics (UK Met Office)

Click image to enlarge.

Eyjafjallajökull Ash Cloud still drifting toward southern Europe. © Copyright EUMETSAT/Met Office. Click image to enlarge.

Related Links:

• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption – MODIS Image – UPDATE May 8
• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption – UPDATE May 7
• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption – ALI-EO1 Satellite Image Posted on May 6, 2010
• Volcanic Ash Closes Parts of UK Airspace Again Posted on May 5, 2010
• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption Intensifies, Flight Ban Imposed Posted on May 4, 2010

• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption – Update MAY 2 Posted on May 2, 2010
• Eyjafjallajökull – Shock Waves Caught on Video
• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption Portents Catastrophic Sequence
• Lava finally flows from Icelandic scientific band
• The Next Icelandic Volcano Likely to Erupt

• Iceland’s Bárdarbunga May Be Erupting
• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption Links Page [This page contains a comprehensive index of links to info on Eyjafjallajökull.]

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| Tagged: iceland ash cloud, Iceland volcano, MODIS Image of Eyjafjallajökull eruption, Satellite Image of Eyjafjallajökull eruption

Volcanic Ash Closes Parts of UK Airspace Again

Iceland’s Volcanoes Could Potentially Cause Collapse of Europe

Eyjafjallajökull Volcanic Ash closes Airspace over Ireland and Scotland Once Again

Airspace over Northern Ireland and Scotland will be closed from 07:00 to 13:00GMT (UTC) on Wednesday due to a new cloud of volcanic ash drifting from Eyjafjallajökull Glacier volcano in Iceland, the UK Civil Aviation Authority said.

The ash cloud is expected to move further south, possibly forcing the closure of airspace in the NW England and north Wales today.

“The situation is very dynamic, so passengers expecting to travel from the impacted airports should contact their airlines to check whether their flight is operating,” CAA website said.

Volcanic Ash Advisory from London – Latest graphics   click image to enlarge

These images are monitoring for the presence of volcanic ash emission in the vicinity of Iceland using infrared data from the Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellite. Because cloud particles and volcanic ash particles interact with the infrared radiation in different ways, data at several different wavelengths can be combined to identify the main ash plume, which, when present, would be shown as yellow and orange colours in the images. Note that it is only the thicker parts of the plume that are able to be detected by this method. In addition, the ash plume is often masked by overlying high cloud. Source and Copyright EUMETSAT/Met Office.

A Webcam Image of Eyjafjallajökull Eruption saved by Icelandic Review yesterday. The webcams seemed to be out of action today.

One function of webcams is to prevent unnecessary traffic to the site of volcano, which could also be extremely hazardous.

Icelandic Met Office said:

Plume was observed at 5.8-6 km height (19-20,000 ft) estimated from the Icelandic Coast Guard (ICG) flight at 10:40 and 15:30 GMT. It is heading east-south-east to south-east from the eruption site. Plume track clearly visible up to 300-400 km distance from the eruption site on a NOAA satellite image at 13:13 GMT.

On lava flow they reported:

Lava is still flowing northwards, forming a lava fall down the steep hill under Gígjökull, about 4 km north of the crater. Blue gas is seen rising from the lava and white steam plumes are seen somewhat lower and mark the front of the lava stream. The size of the eruptive crater is 280 x 190 m. Lava splashes are thrown at least a few hundred meters into the air.

Status Report: 14:00UTC, 04 May 2010 – IMO and Earth Science Island:

Explosive activity and ash production is strong and has increased since yesterday. Dark ash plume rises above the crater. Lava is still flowing northwards, forming a lava fall down the steep hill under Gígjökull, about 4 km north of the crater. Blue gas is seen rising from the lava and white steam plumes are seen somewhat lower and mark the front of the lava stream. Radar images from ICG-flight today show tunnels in Gígjökull increasing in size and continuing the build up of the cone at the crater. The size of the eruptive crater is 280m x 190m. Lava splashes are thrown at least a few hundred meters into the air.

Related Links:

• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption Intensifies, Flight Ban Imposed

• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption Portents Catastrophic Sequence
• The Next Icelandic Volcano Likely to Erupt
• Iceland’s Bárdarbunga May Be Erupting

• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption

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Eyjafjallajökull Volcano Cauldron – Satellite Images

Eyjafjallajökull Volcano Cauldron and Ash Plume  Seen in NASA Satellite Images

Visible (left) and infrared (right) images of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano, acquired April 17, 2010, from the Hyperion instrument onboard NASA’s Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) spacecraft. Image credit: NASA/JPL/EO-1 Mission/GSFC/Ashley Davies

• Larger view of visible image JPG (500Kb)
• Larger view of infrared image JPG (1Mb)

In the left-hand image, created from visible wavelengths, new black ash deposits are visible on the ground, as well as nearby brilliant unsullied ice and snow and the volcano’s brown, billowing plume. The plume’s dark color reflects its large ash content. These fine particles of pulverized rock are carried high into the atmosphere, where they create a hazard for aviation and are carried long distances by the prevailing winds.

In contrast, the false-color, infrared image at the right reveals the intense thermal emissions (at least 60 megawatts, or 60 million watts) emanating from the vent at the base of the massive plume. This thermal emission, equivalent to the energy consumption of 60,000 homes, represents only a small proportion of the total energy being released by the volcano as its molten lava interacts violently with ice and water. Each image covers an area measuring 7.7 kilometers (4.8 miles) wide, and has a resolution of 30 meters (98 feet) per pixel. The vertical direction is north-northeast. Images and Caption: NASA [Edited for brevity.]

Related Links:

Eyjafjallajökull Eruption – Satellite Images
Eyjafjallajökull Eruption – UPDATE Apr 18 [Other links to Eyjafjallajökull are found on this page]

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Ragnarök [the End of the World]

The sun turns dark

Earth sinks in the sea, the fair, bright stars disappear from the heavens

Ragnarök
The sun turns dark,
earth sinks in the sea,
the fair, bright stars
disappear from the heavens.
Sizzling blaze
around the tree of life
colossal heat plays with
the heavens. —Völuspá

The above stanzas were quoted from the famous Nordic poem Völuspá in the Iceland Review. Völuspá, Prophecy of the Völva, tells the story of creation of the world and how it comes to its end, and is arguably the most important source for understanding the Norse mythology.

Yggdrasil, a modern representation of the world tree which is central to Norse mythology.  The world tree is a motif that appears in some Indo-European religions and mythologies. It is represented as a giant tree that supports the heavens, connects it to the earth, and the underground through its roots.

“It was like the sun had gone out in the middle of the day.”

Iceland Review editor Bjarni Brynjólfsson and photographer Páll Stefánsson wondered how it was to drive through the area affected by the eruption: “We tried driving into the darkness and it was like we had stepped into another dimension. We felt it was the end of the world as described in Völuspá, the old Icelandic Poem the tells the story of the end of the world called Ragnarök or Götterdämmerung in the famous opera by Wagner.” More …

What Happened to Disaster Tourism?

The rascals coiled their tails and ran for the coast. Nearby roads covered in a thick blanket of volcanic ash. Credit: Ómar Óskarsson via MBL-Is. Image may be subject to copyright.

For all previous entries and and related links click

• Eyjafjallajökull – UPDATE Apr 17

See also

• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption Intensifies
• Eruption Video April 17, 2010
• 2010 Year of Super Volcanoes?

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Eyjafjallajökull Eruption Intensifies

Webcams Show Heightened Activity

Eruption at Eyjafjallajökull has steadily Intensified in the past 3 hours

Eyjafjallajökull has resumed explosive activity in the past 3 hours, having earlier slowed down to sporadically ejecting single plumes of ash once every 2 to 3 minutes.

The following are latest images obtained from two webcams that are trained on Eyjafjallajökull at Valahnúk and Hvolsvelli stations. The images show a constant stream of ash, steam and fumes spewed from the Icelandic volcano.The images are provided by Míla ehf and may be subject to copyright.

Valahnúk Webcam freeze frame of Eyjafjallajökull at 08:55UTC .

Hvolsvelli Webcam Image of Eyjafjallajokull also recorded at 08:55UTC.

The following irregular sequence of images were recorded from Hvolsvelli Webcam.

[L-R and T-B] Freeze frames shows a large plume of ash, steam and gasses ejected from the volcano just after sunrise at 5;16UTC on April 17, 2010. The ash plume seen in the first frame above dispersed (second frame) within minutes of being ejected from Eyjafjallajokull; however, after a series of explosions that occurred about 30 seconds later, another plume was ejected out of the volcano’s crater. The new plume seemed to be slightly larger than the previous one. Click image to enlarge.

Another sequence of images recorded simultaneously from Hvolsvelli and Valahnúk Webcams.

[T - B] The above freeze frames were recorded at about 5:31UTC, showing single plumes of ash and gasses ejected from Eyjafjallajokul. Click image to enlarge.

[T - B] The above freeze frames were recorded at about 5:35UTC. Most of the frames show two plumes, indicating a gradual increase in the frequency of eruptions at Eyjafjallajokul. Click image to enlarge.

This frame was recorded at 5:40UTC showing 3 plumes which meant the eruptions at Eyjafjallajokul had further intensified. Click image to enlarge.

• For previous updates and various related links click Eyjafjallajökull – UPDATE Apr 17
• Eruption Video April 17, 2010

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Eyjafjallajökull – UPDATE Apr 17

Eyjafjallajökull Still Erupting

40,000 flights grounded since Thursday to avoid engine failure from Eyjafjallajökull ash

A new round of flooding has affected the areas around Eyjafjallajokull, as hot gases from the volcano continue to break up and melt the glacier that covers it.

Huge volumes of floodwater and massive chunks of ice, some reportedly as large as 3-story apartment blocks, have forced about 1,000 locals to evacuate their homes, most of them for a second time in 3 days. The floodwaters have almost completely washed off a causeway along the flooded Markarfljot river, which was severely damaged in the first round of flooding.

According to a local report,  the eruption is somewhat weakening, and Eyjafjallajökull is producing less ash, for now.

Sunrise at Eyjafjallajokull

Valahnúk Webcam freeze frame of Eyjafjallajökull shortly after sunrise.

Hvolsvelli Webcam Image of Eyjafjallajokull. Freeze frame shows a large plume of ash, steam and gasses ejected from the volcano just after sunrise at 5;16UTC on April 17, 2010. The ash plume seen above dispersed within minutes of appearing, but about 30 seconds and a series of explosions later, a larger plume was spewed out of the volcano’s crater. See the dramatic sequences in the next update.

Click image to enlarge.

Staff from the Icelandic Meteorological Office flew with the Icelandic Coast Guard to the Eyjafjallajökull eruption site on the afternoon of April 16th 2010. At 4 pm the volcanic ash cloud was clearly visible above the cloud deck, rising at times to at least 30,000 feet. Steady winds from the east-north-east moved the cloud away from the volcano. The cloud height was variable from 25 to 30,000 feet and its colour varied from dark to white, depending on how much ash was in the cloud. Credit: Icelandic Met Office. Image may be subject to copyright.

The Surreality Test. Credit: Jónas Erlendsson via MBL-Is. Image may be subject to copyright.

The above photo shows the outlet glacier, which is dark at the top due to mud from the flash floods. At the base the glacier flows to the right of a large cracked rock.Credit: Icelandic Met Office. Image may be subject to copyright.  More Photos…

A diagrammatic  illustration of volcanic ash dispersion up to 20,000 ft, issued at 7 pm on 16 April. Advisory charts are issued every six hours, for up to 18 hours ahead, by the Volcanic Ash Advisory Center. Source: UK Met Office.

According to the UK Met Office the cloud were moving over northern France and Austria, as well as  eastern and central Russia. © Copyright EUMETSAT/Met Office.

• Initial Ash Drift Satellite Animation

The ash particles range in size from 15 × 20 µm to 70 × 85 µm. (1 µm is a millionth of a meter, or a thousands of a millimeter).

Ash dust particles (at ×400) collected from Aberdeen on the morning of 16 April. These particles are approximately 60 × 70 µm.

Ash dust particles at ×100. Source and Copyright Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

Geoengineer This!

Credit: Golli / Kjartan Þorbjörnsson via MBL-Is. Image may be subject to copyright.

What Happend to Disaster Tourism?

The rascals coiled their tails and ran for the coast. Nearby roads covered in a thick blanket of volcanic ash. Credit: Ómar Óskarsson via MBL-Is. Image may be subject to copyright.

Click link for Eyjafjallajökull Eruption – Satellite Images

The All Important Pronunciation: ‘Aye-ya fyah-tla jow-kutl

Related Links:

Videos

• Video of causeway destroyed by floodwater from melting glacier

• Video footage of the new volcanic eruption on Eyjafjallajökull glacier in south Iceland and flooding in Markarfljót river is posted here.
• Eruption Footage
• Video by MBL
• Horfa á kvikmyndir frá Hvannárgili [26 march 2010]
• Horfa á kvikmyndir frá Hrunagili [26 march 2010]
• Eruption Caught on Video by Iceland Coast Guard (WMV) – 20 March 2010
• Hrunagil (video)
• Iceland TV RUC

More Photos:

• National Geographic
• Reuters Iceland images
• Iceland’s disruptive volcano

Technical information:

• New map of the lava flow from 21 – 24 March 2010
• Latest Map of volcanic emissions 25 March 2010 (Icelandic)
  

Webcams – Volcanoes in Iceland

• Eyjafjallajökull
  • http://mila.is/um-milu/vefmyndavelar/eyjafjallajokull-fra-hvolsvelli/
  • http://mila.is/um-milu/vefmyndavelar/eyjafjallajokull-fra-thorolfsfelli/
• Hekla: http://www.ruv.is/hekla/
• Katla: http://www.ruv.is/katla/

Latest Images (RUV): http://www.ruv.is/flokkar/hamfarir

Related Headline News

• Photo Shows Eerie Closeness to Volcano, Says Farmer Hit by Flood [April 15, 2010]

• Iceland Eruption Affects Air Traffic in Norway
• Last Eyjafjallajökull Eruption Lasted Two Years [April 14, 2010]
• Awesome Pictures of Flood in South Iceland
  
• Iceland’s PM: Important to Remain Calm
  
• Flood in South Iceland Might Be Subsiding
• Video of New Iceland Eruption and Flood
• Drinking Water Monitored in Iceland’s Westman Islands [April 14, 2010]

• Iceland: New Craters open up. “We saw the Earth open up” [April 3, 2010]
• Icelandic Volcanic Outburst goes 100 Meters into the Air [April 1, 2010]
• Toxic Fumes at Source of Iceland Eruption
• Lava Flow Heads for Idyllic Iceland Valley
• Iceland Lava Flow Changes Channels

Related Sites in Iceland (English)

• Institute of Earth Sciences, Iceland
• Geophysical research at the Icelandic Meteorological Office
• Continuous tremor plots at the Icelandic Meteorological Office
• Earthquake location maps at the Icelandic Meteorological Office

Fire-Earth Links:

• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption – Satellite Images
• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption – UPDATE Apr 16
• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption – 2nd Update Apr 15

• Eyjafjallajökull eruption melts glacier [April 15]
• Eyjafjöll Eruption Update – April 3
• Eyjafjöll Still Erupting
• Eyjafjöll Eruption – Images of the Day

• Eyjafjöll Eruption – LATEST
• Icelandic Volcano Erupts – UPDATE
• Volcano erupts near Eyjafjallajoekull, Iceland
• Icelandic Volcano Erupts – VIDEO UPDATE

• Volcanoes
• FEWW Volcano Links
• FEWW Earthquake Links

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Eyjafjallajökull Eruption – Satellite Images

Ash cloud from Eyjafjallajökull eruption has grounded about 30,000 flights, so far!

Ash from Iceland’s erupting Eyjafjallajökull Volcano had drifted over northern Europe by April 16, 2010. The brown ash is mixed with clouds in this photo-like image taken by MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite at 12:45 p.m. local time (GMT/UTC+2) on April 16,2010. The visible ash sweeps in an arc across the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, and Russia. Additional ash is most probably masked by clouds. Source: NASA. Click image to enlarge.

• Additional resolutions
• Daily Images
  

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this natural-color image on April 15, 2010. A volcanic plume blows from Eyjafjallajökull Volcano in southern Iceland toward the east-southeast. The plume’s tan hue indicates a high ash content. Volcanic ash consists of tiny jagged particles of rock which can cause engine failure, if sucked into an airplane’s turbines. Source: NASA. Click image to enlarge.

DLR, TerraSAR-X, via Associated Press

A computer enhanced image of  Eyjafjallajokull glacier in Iceland acquired by the TerraSAR-X satellite on April 16, 2010 (late PM). Image may be subject to copyright. Click image to enlarge.

For the latest Eyjafjallajökull update and links see

• Eyjafjallajökull – UPDATE Apr 17
• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption – UPDATE Apr 16

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Serial No 1,582. Starting April 2010, each entry on this blog has a unique serial number. If any of the numbers are missing, it may mean that the corresponding entry has been blocked by Google/the authorities in your country. Please drop us a line if you detect any anomaly/missing number(s).

Eyjafjallajökull Eruption – UPDATE Apr 16

A Time to Reflect!

Much volcanic activity may occur in Iceland during the coming months: Eyjafjallajökull, perhaps Katla, Laki and others … even Jan Mayen their northerly neighbor could kick in keeping more flights grounded

Eyjafjallajökull Eruption Has Grounded Flights Across Much of Europe for a Second Day

As the eruption at Eyjafjallajökull volcano continues unabated, more smoke and ash from the glacier-filled volcano in Iceland drifts into Europe’s airspace, affecting up to a million air passengers. The disruption could continue into the weekend and beyond.

A radar image of the three craters emerging from under the Eyjafjallajokull glacier April 16, 2010. Credit: Icelandic Coast Guard

As of posting, up to 8,000 flights have been canceled since a no-fly zone was declared in northern Europe on Thursday.  The airspace from as far west as the Republic of Ireland to Finland and was Western Russia are now closed. The countries that are directly affected and whose airspace have been shut down are: Republic of Ireland, Norway, UK, Netherlands,  Belgium, Denmark, Sweden and Finland.

Additionally there is a partial or planned no-fly zones currently operating in the northern airspace of three  other countries: France, Germany and Poland.

Volcanic Ash and fumes (dark yellow, mustard and various shades of brown) from Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull eruption drift toward NW Europe. Copyright EUMETSAT 2010. Click image to enlarge.

How long Will the Eruption Last?

“It is likely that the production of ash will continue at a comparable level for some days or weeks. But where it disrupts travel, that depends on the weather,” Einar Kjartansson, a geophysicist at the Icelandic Meteorological Office, told the reporters.

The last time the subglacial volcano erupted, it went on ejecting ash for a period of two years, from 1821 to 1823.

Ash Drifting Very Slowly

In the absence of wind the ash cloud is “progressing very slowly eastwards” and has remained “very dense,” the European air traffic control, Eurocontrol, has said.

“In general, the situation cannot be said to be improving with any certainty,”  the National Air Traffic Service in the UK was quoted as saying.

The European air traffic control organisation, Eurocontrol, said a lack of wind meant the ash cloud created by the volcano underneath Iceland’s Eyjafjallajoekull glacier was “progressing very slowly eastwards” and remained “very dense”.

In addition to the European airlines, at least 5 other long-haul airlines have canceled flights to Europe.

Related Links:

Videos

• Video footage of the new volcanic eruption on Eyjafjallajökull glacier in south Iceland and flooding in Markarfljót river is posted here.
• Eruption Footage
• Video by MBL
• Horfa á kvikmyndir frá Hvannárgili [26 march 2010]
• Horfa á kvikmyndir frá Hrunagili [26 march 2010]
• Eruption Caught on Video by Iceland Coast Guard (WMV) – 20 March 2010
• Hrunagil (video)
• Iceland TV RUC

More Photos:

• National Geographic
• Reuters Iceland images

Technical information:

• New map of the lava flow from 21 – 24 March 2010
• Latest Map of volcanic emissions 25 March 2010 (Icelandic)
  

Webcams – Volcanoes in Iceland

• Eyjafjallajökull
  • http://mila.is/um-milu/vefmyndavelar/eyjafjallajokull-fra-hvolsvelli/
  • http://mila.is/um-milu/vefmyndavelar/eyjafjallajokull-fra-thorolfsfelli/
• Hekla: http://www.ruv.is/hekla/
• Katla: http://www.ruv.is/katla/

Latest Images (RUV): http://www.ruv.is/flokkar/hamfarir

Related Headline News

• Photo Shows Eerie Closeness to Volcano, Says Farmer Hit by Flood [April 15, 2010]

• Iceland Eruption Affects Air Traffic in Norway
• Last Eyjafjallajökull Eruption Lasted Two Years [April 14, 2010]
• Awesome Pictures of Flood in South Iceland
  
• Iceland’s PM: Important to Remain Calm
  
• Flood in South Iceland Might Be Subsiding
• Video of New Iceland Eruption and Flood
• Drinking Water Monitored in Iceland’s Westman Islands [April 14, 2010]

• Iceland: New Craters open up. “We saw the Earth open up” [April 3, 2010]
• Icelandic Volcanic Outburst goes 100 Meters into the Air [April 1, 2010]
• Toxic Fumes at Source of Iceland Eruption
• Lava Flow Heads for Idyllic Iceland Valley
• Iceland Lava Flow Changes Channels

Related Sites in Iceland (English)

• Institute of Earth Sciences, Iceland
• Geophysical research at the Icelandic Meteorological Office
• Continuous tremor plots at the Icelandic Meteorological Office
• Earthquake location maps at the Icelandic Meteorological Office

Fire-Earth Links:

• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption – 2nd Update Apr 15

• Eyjafjallajökull eruption melts glacier [April 15]
• Eyjafjöll Eruption Update – April 3
• Eyjafjöll Still Erupting
• Eyjafjöll Eruption – Images of the Day

• Eyjafjöll Eruption – LATEST
• Icelandic Volcano Erupts – UPDATE
• Volcano erupts near Eyjafjallajoekull, Iceland
• Icelandic Volcano Erupts – VIDEO UPDATE

• Volcanoes
• FEWW Volcano Links
• FEWW Earthquake Links

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Serial No 1,581. Starting April 2010, each entry on this blog has a unique serial number. If any of the numbers are missing, it may mean that the corresponding entry has been blocked by Google/the authorities in your country. Please drop us a line if you detect any anomaly/missing number(s).

Mount Nyamulagira Erupting, Again?

Mount Nyamulagira in DR Congo erupted

Lava from Mount Nyamulagira Saturday eruption sent lava into the surrounding Virunga National Park, BBC reported.

Photo released by the Congolese Wildlife Authority, Virunga National Park, shows Nyamulagira erupting early Saturday local time on January 2, 2010.

Mount Nyamuragira, Africa’s most active volcano, is located about 25km (16 miles) north of Goma. A large section of the city of Goma (population of 200,000 plus at least 100,000 war refugees), located in the east of the country was destroyed in 2002 after  Mount Nyiragongo erupted.

Lava spewed along the volcano’s southern flank into Virunga National Park, but avoided the nearby villages. there were no casualties reported. However, about 4 dozen endangered chimpanzees as well as other animals live near the volcano.

One of Virunga’s wardens told reporters: “I saw the mountain was on fire with sparks flying.”

Nyamulagira has erupted about 40 times since the late 19th century.

Following a loud explosion at 03:45 local time (01:45 UTC) Lava from Nyamuragira flowed along the volcano’s southern section incinerating everything on its path. Freeze frame from CCTV. Image may be subject to copyright.

FEWW Comment: If we are looking at a sulfur dioxide dispersal scenario in relation to the Earth’s defense mechanism against Warming, then the latest eruption could have been just an opening salvo in the upcoming eruptions of Nyamulagira and its neighbor Nyiragongo volcano.

Major Volcanoes of the DR Congo

In May 2009 Scientists in the DR Congo recorded a significant increase in volcanic activity around the city of Goma.

A general view of the refugee camp at Kibati at the foot of Nyiragongo volcano in eastern Congo, November 14, 2008.  REUTERS/Finbarr O’Reilly. Image may be subject to copyright.

Volcano: Nyamuragira

Country:  DR Congo
Region: Central Africa
Volcano Type: Shield volcano
Last Known Eruption: 2006
Summit Elevation: 3058 m  (10,033 feet)
Latitude: 1.408°S   (1°24′30″S)
Longitude: 29.20°E  (29°12′0″E)
Source: Global Volcanism Program (GVP)

Lava fountains from the new cone of Mikombe on the lower NE flank of Zaire’s Nyamuragira volcano feed the lava flow in the foreground. This photo was taken from the SE on September 29, nine days after the start of the eruption. During the first week the new cone, whose name means “many bats,” grew to a height of 60-70 m. Lava flows had traveled 6-7 km NE by the time of this photo. The eruption continued until February 1993, by which time lava flows had traveled 19 km to the NE. Photo by Minoru Kasahara, 1991 (Hokkaido University). Caption GVP.

Depiction of the Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira volcanoes, based on data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission and Landsat. Vertical scale exaggerated (1.5x).  Image ID: PIA03337.  Date: February 2000 – December 2001. Image:Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira – PIA03337.png (high resolution) . NASA/JPL/NIMA

Depiction of the Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira volcanoes, based on data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer, or Aster, and Landsat. Some lava flows (not all) from the 2002-01-17 eruption are shown in red. Date: February 2000 – January 2002. Image ID: PIA03339.  NASA/JPL/NIMA

The summit of Nyamuragira volcano is truncated by 2 x 2.3 km wide caldera whose floor is partially covered by unvegetated historical lava flows. This view from above the SW caldera rim shows a pit crater on the far side of the caldera at the upper left that was the site of a lava lake, active since at least 1921, which drained in 1938 at the time of a major flank eruption. Africa’s most active volcano, 3058-m-high Nyamuragira rises about 25 km north of Lake Kivu in the East African Rift Valley NW of Nyiragongo volcano.  Photo by Simon Carn, 2004 (TOMS Volcanic Emissions Group, University of Maryland, Baltimore County). CAption: GVP.

From: Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program Website, 2002

Africa’s most active volcano, Nyamuragira is a massive basaltic shield volcano that rises north of Lake Kivu across a broad valley northwest of Nyiragongo volcano. The volcano has a volume of 500 cubic kilometers and extensive lava flows from Nyamuragira cover 1500 square kilometers of the East African Rift. The 3058-meter-high summit is truncated by a small 2 x 2.3 kilometer summit caldera that has walls up to about 100 meters high. Historical eruptions have occurred within the summit caldera, frequently modifying the morphology of the caldera floor, as well as from the numerous fissures and cinder cones on the volcano’s flanks. A lava lake in the summit crater, active since at least 1921, drained in 1938. Twentieth-century lava flows extend down the flanks more than 30 km from the summit, reaching as far as Lake Kivu.

SO2 emissions from Mount Nyamulagira’s previous eruption on November 27, 2006

The Ozone Monitoring Instrument on NASA’s Aura satellite tracked the emission of SO2 gas from the volcano between November 28 and December 4, 2006. The sulfur dioxide concentrations are shown here using a logarithmic color scale. (The value at the top of the scale is about 149 times greater than the value at the bottom.) Credit: NASA.

Related Links:

• Volcanic Explosions Could Split More Than Africa

• FEWW Volcano Links
• Volcanoes
• FEWW Earthquake Links

Calif Fire Looks Like Volcanic Eruption

Image of the Day: ‘Guiberson Volcano’

A ridge of fire works its way through Grimes Canyon toward Fillmore, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009. (AP Photo/John Lazar). Image may be subject to copyright.

More dry, hot weather; more red-flag warnings!

The three-day, 16,400-acre Guiberson fire in Ventura County, which has so far cost about $3.5 to tackle, no longer poses a threat to Moorpark, Somis and other communities on its southern edge, the authorities said.

The National Weather Service has extended red-flag warnings for many areas in Los Angeles and Ventura counties until 9:00 PM Saturday because they expect dry, hot weather  to continue.

Today’s temperatures stayed high throughout the region, reaching a high of 105 in Riverside, 103 in Anaheim,  102 in Pasadena, 100 in downtown Los Angeles, 98 in Santa Ana, and 97 in Long Beach.

Fire officials sent hand crews up into the hills to carve firebreaks on the northeastern and western flanks of the 27-square-mile fire, said Ventura County Fire spokesman Bill Nash. The blaze was 65 percent surrounded and about 2,750 personnel were assigned to the fire Friday. —AP

“We have an army of firefighters on the fire right now,” AP reported Nash as saying.

The LA Times reporter was more modest and put the number at “more than 1,800.”

The Station Fire is now at 98% containment, the fire authorities reported.

Related Links:

• SoCal End-to-End Corporate Arsons Blaze On!
• Calif Fires 2009 – Part 2 ‘We’re Watching You!’ [includes entries up to September 22, 2009]
• California Fires 09 – Part 3 ‘Pile on the Manure, Sheriff!’  [for entries dated after September 22, 2009]

Redoubt Volcano settling down?

Is Redoubt going back to sleep?

After Redoubt’s last explosive eruption about three month ago, the researchers at the Alaska Volcano Observatory say the volcano may be settling down. The aviation alert level has been lowered to code yellow (advisory), however, constant monitoring continues.

Redoubt has been oozing magma and ejecting steam since the last eruption on April 4, 2009.

“The last couple of months at Redoubt, we have been building a mountain,” said one of the researchers, referring to the colossal lava dome.

As of June 9, the giant dome had grown to approximately 67.5 million m3 in volume. the dome is unstable and can collapse  at any time, causing  explosions, and flooding the Drift River valley.

Redoubt from the east. Picture Date: July 01, 2009.  Image Creator: Cyrus Read. Image courtesy of AVO/USGS.

Redoubt photo taken by DFR Webcam. AVO. Camera is co-located with seismic station DFR, approximately 12.2 km NE of Redoubt.

ALASKA VOLCANO OBSERVATORY INFORMATION STATEMENT
Tuesday, June 30, 2009 4:38 PM AKDT (Wednesday, July 1, 2009 0038 UTC)
Redoubt Volcano
60°29’7″ N 152°44’38″ W, Summit Elevation 10197 ft (3,108 m)
Current Volcano Alert Level: ADVISORY
Current Aviation Color Code: YELLOW

Extended Information Statement

The 2009 eruption of Redoubt volcano began March 15th, 2009 with a steam explosion. Between March 22nd and April 4th, Redoubt produced multiple significant explosions that sent ash and gas clouds to as high as 65,000 feet (19.8 km) above sea level. After April 4th, the eruption continued with extrusion of a lava dome within the summit crater, eventually producing a blocky lava flow that currently extends ~0.6 miles (1 km) down the north flank of the volcano. Redoubt entered its 14th week of eruptive activity the week of June 22nd. More …

Related Links:

• FEWW Volcano Links
• Volcanoes
• FEWW Earthquake Links
• FEWW Earthquake Links

Sarychev Peak Spews Two Plumes of Ash

In the Majestic Earth’s Service

Sarychev Peak Spews Two Plumes of Ash, Helping to Balance Earth’s Energy Budget

FEWW Moderators believe that Earth is using some of her natural mechanisms to balance her energy budget, which has been forced into red by human activity. Over the coming months, Moderators will explain how the system works.

It’s a balancing act on a planetary level, and there’s a price to pay for using large-scale natural defense mechanisms. They don’t come cheap. Even IF successful on the planetary scale, the “trade-off,” if it can be so crudely termed, would be reflected in further erosion of the earth’s debilitated carrying capacity…

Watch this space for more information!

Activity at Sarychev Peak

Sarychev Peak located in NW end of Matua Island (Ostrov Matua) in Russia’s central Kurils reportedly spewed  ash plumes in two directions, west-northwesterly, and east-southeasterly. NASA’s Aqua satellite using its Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) captured this image on June 12, 2009. Thanks to the age of modern technology (!), NASA’s MODIS Rapid Response Team at Goddard Space Flight Center rapidly posted the image on their website in under 48 hours.

Sarychev Peak (Kuril Islands, Russia)

A cloudcap obscurs the dramatic, 250-m-wide, steep-walled summit crater of Sarychev volcano, one of the most active volcanoes of the Kuril Islands. Sarychev occupies the NW end of Matua Island in the central Kurils in this NASA Space Shuttle image (with north to the top). The andesitic central cone was constructed within a mostly buried 3-3.5 km wide caldera; an older volcano forms the SE part of the island (lower right). The substantially higher SE rim forms the 1496 m high point of the island. Fresh-looking lava flows descend all sides of Sarychev Peak. Eruptions have been recorded since the 1760′s and include both quiet lava effusion and violent explosions. The largest historical eruption of Sarychev Peak in 1946 produced pyroclastic flows that reached the sea. The small island of Toporkovyi is partially visible at the right-center. Image: NASA Space Shuttle image ISS005-E-17796, 2002 (http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/). Caption: GVP

Volcano Details
Country: Russia
Region: Kuril Islands
Volcano Type: Stratovolcano
Summit Elevation: 1,496 m
Latitude: 48.092°N (48°5’30″N)
Longitude: 153.20°E (153°12’0″E)
Source: Global Volcanism Program

Related Links:

[FEWW Volcanic Forecasts]

• Sumatra’s Mt Kerinci Erupts
• Volcano Watch Weekly: 23 April 2009

• Weekly Volcano Watch: 16 April 2009
• Weekly Volcano Watch: 2 April 2009

• FEWW Volcano Links
• Volcanoes
• FEWW Earthquake Links

• Earth’s Climate: A Solar Powered System

Volcano Watch Weekly [6 May 2009]

Volcanic Activity Report: 29 April – 5 May 2009

Source: Global Volcanism program (GVP) – SI/USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report

New activity/unrest:

• Bagana, Bougainville (PNG)
• Fernandina, Galápagos Islands
• Galeras, Colombia
• Krakatau, Indonesia
• Reventador, Ecuador
• Rinjani, Lombok Island (Indonesia)
• Shiveluch, Central Kamchatka (Russia)
• Slamet, Central Java (Indonesia)

VoW: Atitlán

Country:  Guatemala
Volcano Type:  Stratovolcano
Volcano Status:  Historical
Last Known Eruption: 1853
Summit Elevation: 3,535 m  (11,598 feet)
Latitude: 14.583°N  (14°34’58″N)
Longitude: 91.186°W  (91°11’11″W)

Volcán Atitlán is one of several prominent conical stratovolcanoes in the Guatemalan highlands. Along with its twin volcano Tolimán to the north, it forms a dramatic backdrop to Lake Atitlán, one of the scenic highlights of the country. The 3535-m-high summit of Atitlán directly overlies the inferred margin of the Pleistocene Atitlán III caldera and is the highest of three large post-caldera stratovolcanoes constructed near the southern caldera rim. The volcano consequently post-dates the eruption of the voluminous, roughly 85,000-year-old rhyolitic Los Chocoyos tephra associated with formation of the Atitlán III caldera. The historically active andesitic Volcán Atitlán is younger than Tolimán, although their earlier activity overlapped. In contrast to Tolimán, Atitlán displays a thick pyroclastic cover. The northern side of the volcano is wooded to near the summit, whereas the upper 1000 m of the southern slopes are unvegetated. Predominantly explosive eruptions have been recorded from Volcán Atitlán since the 15th century. Photo by Bill Rose, 1980(Michigan Technological University). Caption GVP.

Major Volcanoes of Guatemala

REPORT:
Volcanic Hazards at Atitlán Volcano, Guatemala

—J.M. Haapala, R. Escobar Wolf, J.W. Vallance, W.I. Rose, J.P. Griswold, S.P. Schilling, J.W. Ewert, and M. Mota, 2006
Volcanic Hazards at Atitlán Volcano, Guatemala U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2005-1403

Introduction

Atitlán Volcano is in the Guatemalan Highlands, along a west-northwest trending chain of volcanoes parallel to the mid-American trench. The volcano perches on the southern rim of the Atitlán caldera, which contains Lake Atitlán. Since the major caldera-forming eruption 85 thousand years ago (ka), three stratovolcanoes—San Pedro, Tolimán, and Atitlán—have formed in and around the caldera. Atitlán is the youngest and most active of the three volcanoes. Atitlán Volcano is a composite volcano, with a steep-sided, symmetrical cone comprising alternating layers of lava flows, volcanic ash, cinders, blocks, and bombs.

Eruptions of Atitlán began more than 10 ka and, since the arrival of the Spanish in the mid-1400’s, eruptions have occurred in six eruptive clusters (1469, 1505, 1579, 1663, 1717, 1826–1856). Owing to its distance from population centers and the limited written record from 200 to 500 years ago, only an incomplete sample of the volcano’s behavior is documented prior to the 1800’s. The geologic record provides a more complete sample of the volcano’s behavior since the 19th century. Geologic and historical data suggest that the intensity and pattern of activity at Atitlán Volcano is similar to that of Fuego Volcano, 44 km to the east, where active eruptions have been observed throughout the historical period.

Because of Atitlán’s moderately explosive nature and frequency of eruptions, there is a need for local and regional hazard planning and mitigation efforts. Tourism has flourished in the area; economic pressure has pushed agricultural activity higher up the slopes of Atitlán and closer to the source of possible future volcanic activity. This report summarizes the hazards posed by Atitlán Volcano in the event of renewed activity but does not imply that an eruption is imminent. However, the recognition of potential activity will facilitate hazard and emergency preparedness. [Report Menu]

Ongoing Activity:

• Asama, Honshu (Japan)
• Batu Tara, Komba Island (Indonesia)
• Chaitén, Southern Chile
• Cleveland, Chuginadak Island
• Dukono, Halmahera
• Ebeko, Paramushir Island
• Karymsky, Eastern Kamchatka
• Kilauea, Hawaii (USA)
• Popocatépetl, México
• Rabaul, New Britain
• Redoubt, Southwestern Alaska
• Sakura-jima, Kyushu (Japan)
• Suwanose-jima, Ryukyu Islands (Japan)
• Tungurahua, Ecuador

Latest U.S. Volcano Alerts and Updates for Wednesday, May 6, 2009 at 17:51:20 PDT

• Redoubt Watch Orange

• Kilauea Watch Orange

• Mauna Loa Advisory Yellow

Related Links:

• U.S. Volcano Status Map
• Elevated Activity Page
• U.S. Volcano Webcams

• Volcanoes [FEWW Links]
• Earthquakes