Lava finally flows from Icelandic scientific band

Lava flows northwards from the Eyjafjallajökull crater, melting the glacial ice: Report

The local experts do not believe large-scale flooding could occur from the melt water, but then again …

Oh, and if you are wondering why everyone in Iceland is suddenly speaking about lava flow in the past tense, you’re not alone. The rascals didn’t tell anyone lava had started flowing 4 days ago!

Notice: The following updates were issued by various Icelandic organizations. Unlike the govt organizations in the US, nearly all of the  information broadcast by government organizations and educational outlets in Iceland and most European countries may be subject to copyright. If your use of their data goes beyond the educational use/ fair use, be sure to contact the authors for copyright clarification/ permission.

Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management -Media team

Specialists from the Institute of the Earth Sciences (http://www.earthice.hi.is/ ) and the Icelandic Meteorological Office (http://www.vedur.is) flew over the eruption site in Eyjafjallajökull late yesterday. The lava flow seems to be of similar volume as in recent days (20-40 tons per second). The quantity of the volcanic plume is slowly decreasing. The flow of lava is most likely to have started near noon on April 21 when water started flowing continuously from Gígjökull. Steam plumes rose from the northern edges of the caldera after noon on that day and could be seen from a helicopter. Deflation associated with the volcanic tremor was noticed at the same time. There are no signs of melting or flow of water to the south. There are also no indications that the eruption is coming to an end.

There are still disruptions in domestic and international flights, according to information from ISAVIA, and passengers are therefore strongly advised to seek further information from air carriers and at: http://www.textavarp.is/ .

Icelandic Met Office Report

Eruption in Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland

Indications of lava flow to the north – 25 April 11:30

Yesterday evening, geophysicists from the Institute of the Earth Sciences found indications of lava flow from the eruption site. The risk of sudden melt water flow is, however, minor. Following is their description:

“North of crater a roughly 300 m long and wide depression has been melted out in the last three days. Steam plumes rise from the depression, especially at the margins. This is explained by lava flowing northwards from the crater with the steam rising where lava meets ice … Flow of lava is considered to have begun around noon on Wednesday 21 April.”

Icelandic Meteorological Office and Institute of Earth Sciences, UoI

Eruption in Eyjafjallajökull – status report 25 April 2010 at 1800

Eruption plume:
Height( a.s.l):  Unknown, not seen above cloud cover at 5.3 km.
Heading:  NW
Tephra fallout:  Minor (light fallout detected at two farms 10 km NW of vents)

Conditions at eruption site: Overall activity similar as yesterday.  Eruption seen from west in the morning – north crater still active.  External water has not affected vent activity much since 18 April.  Geologists field observations (2-10 km from vents) show that explosivity is magmatic and that the tephra produced since 18 April is much coarser than during first four days.  Explosions heard at Fljótshlíð, 10-15 km NW of vents.   Meltwater discharge suggest similar lava activity.  Processing of data obtained yesterday shows that lava had advanced 400-500 m northwards from crater, forming an ice depression extending some 700 m from vents.

Overall assessment:  Magma flow rate has remained at similar level over the last few days.  Plume activity is gradually declining.  Flow continues flowing towards north.  No signs of melting or meltwater discharge towards south.  No signs of termination of eruption.Eruption in Eyjafjallajökull – status report 24 April 2010 at 1700
Eruption plume: Height( a.s.l): 13000 feet (4 km)
Tephra fallout: Minor (plume dark but no reports of fallout in districts around volcano)
Meltwater: 100-120 m3/s, based on gauge at old Markarfljót bridge and a rough estimate of base flow.
GPS deformation: Indicates slow subsidence towards the center of the volcano.
Magma flow: Eruption plume: less or equal to 10 tonnes/s.
Lava flow: 10-30 tonnes/s
Total magma flow: 20-40 tonnes/s

For additional details see: Institute of the Earth Sciences

Related Links:

• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption – UPDATE 24 April
• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption – UPDATE 23 April
• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption – UPDATE 22 April
• The Next Icelandic Volcano Likely to Erupt
• Iceland’s Bárdarbunga May Be Erupting
• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption – UPDATE 21 April
• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption Links Page

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Louisiana Coast Oil Leak Disaster Underway

Offshore Louisiana Well: “very serious spill”

Oil Well Beneath Sunken Deepwater Horizon Leaking 1,000 BPD

We thought it was a fairy tale as far as the capping of the well story went …

The oil well that was being pumped out by the doomed Deepwater Horizon oil rig is spewing crude oil at a rate of 1,000 barrels per day (bpd),  the U.S. Coast Guard said on Saturday.

[Note: 1,000 barrels = 42,000 US gallons, or ~ 160,000 liters]

The well, located on the ocean floor, some 1,500m (~5,000 feet) beneath the ocean surface,  is causing what the Coast Guard called a “very serious spill.”

A Coast Guard spokeswoman said a  remote-controlled submarine detected oil leaking from both the riser and drill pipe.

“We are classifying this as a very serious spill and we are using all our resources to help contain it,” the Coast Guard Petty Officer Connie Terrell said.

The ill-fated Deepwater Horizon, owned by Transocean Ltd and operated by the oil Goliath BP, sank on Thursday. The rig had been burning for two days after exploding  at about 10 p.m. CDT on Tuesday (02:00UTC Wednesday), about 66km (~ 41 miles) off the Louisiana.

The search for 11 crew members was abandoned on Friday. Four of the 17 crew members who were injured were said to be in critical condition.

As of Sunday an oil slick measuring about 1,600 square kilometers (~ 600 square miles), covered an area close to the US coast line. The slick is spreading north moving toward Mississippi and Alabama coastline, the U.S. Coast Guard reported.

On Saturday Fire-Earth Moderators said: “This situation, of course, could change because oil wells gushing at a rate of 8,000 barrels per day don’t heal automatically after a fire.”

Related Links:

• Gulf Sunken Rig: No Major Spill Yet—Reports
• Deepwater Horizon Still Burning – UPDATE
• Offshore Oil Rig Explodes
• Disasters Caused by Oil and gas Drilling, Oil Spills, Leaks, Land, Water and Air Pollution
• Want a Mandate to Kill Life on the Planet?

• Chevron-BP Pipeline leaks Oil into Louisiana Wildlife Refuge
• Oil Refinery Explodes in Washington State
• Obama: A Serious Self-Hater

• NASA Satellite Images (disappointing, as usual, but meant as a record)

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Giant Tornado Kills at least 10 in Mississippi

Death, Devastation, “Utter Obliteration”

“It has done huge damage around Yazoo City.” —Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour

A mile-wide tornado ripped through central Mississippi, killing at least 10 people, trapping many more  in their homes, destroying hundreds of buildings and causing “utter obliteration” in parts of Yazoo County.

Tornado Touches down in Mississippi. Freeze frame from an AP news video.

“We have fatalities, a number of people that we’re still trying to rescue who are trapped in buildings. But it is a major, significant tornado … and it did some huge damage and perhaps some fatalities north of here,” Barbour said, calling the damage “utter obliteration.”

“We still have people trapped in houses and cars,” said a teary-eyed Barbour. “It reminds me of [Hurricane] Katrina.”

The tornado left a 6-mile-wide swath of destruction stretching from the Eagle Lake community in northern Vicksburg to Yazoo City and into Holmes County, leaving  homes, businesses, schools and churches reduced to piles of  rubble. The cost of damage in Yazoo County alone could easily top $10million.

The first major tornado of the year struck 15 counties, prompting Governor Barbour to declare a state of emergency.

Five people were killed in Choctaw County, including two children, four in Yazoo County and one in Holmes County, Mississippi Emergency Management Agency spokesman Greg Flynn was reported as saying.

“This sucker is leaving a path of destruction,” Flynn said, adding that  the tornado had jumped the Mississippi River into Mississippi just before noon.

“It caused a bunch of damage in Louisiana. Then it strengthened when it got into Issaquena.” He said.

“This sucker is leaving a path of destruction,” Flynn said.

Two waves of heavy storms struck the region between 8:00a.m.  and midday central time. The second wave was the more destructive one.

Tornadoes also struck Alabama Arkansas and Louisiana, and the severe weather is moving eastward.

National Weather Service Doppler Radar detected a persistent band of strong thunderstorms moving from Cartersville to Lindale to Cave Spring and further southwest into Alabama at about 8:00 p.m. EDT.

Severe Storms Forecast

Weather Hazard Warning Map – NWS

An Outbreak of Severe Thunderstorms Including Strong Tornadoes Is Expected Over Parts of the Mid-South, Central Gulf Coast States And Tennessee Valley this Afternoon and Evening. The NWS Storm Prediction Center in Norman OK is forecasting the development of a few strong, long-track tornadoes over parts of the Mid-South, Central Gulf Coast States and Tennessee Valley this afternoon and evening. This is a particularly dangerous situation. Click image for UPDATE and Details.

Damage in Louisiana

Complex Chemicals Co., a plant in Tallulah, La, was destroyed by a tornado, which also reduced 12 houses to a pile of splinters on Saturday, damaging many other buildings.

“Madison Parish Sheriff’s Maj. Neil Horath says a dozen people suffered broken bones, cuts or other injuries, and deputies had to clear fallen trees from several yards so people could get out of their houses. But he says nobody was seriously hurt.” AP reported.

Alberta Harris points to her Mississippi neighbour’s home where she and others helped rescue a bed-ridden man after a tornado struck on Saturday.  Photo: Brian Albert Broom/Associated Press. Image may be subject to copyright.

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service reported that at least two tornadoes had touched down Thursday afternoon south and east of Denver.
A house in Aurora was struck by lightening and caught fire.

“Hail pelted parts of the metro area and blanketed the ground and roads east of Denver. Storms caused street flooding and temporarily knocked out power in parts of cities north of Denver.” AP reported.

Based on the recent climatic trends, Fire-Earth Moderators forecast a severe tornado season in 2010, which could prove exceptionally costly, both in human losses and property damage.

• TORNADO WARNING
• Flash Flood Warning
• Flood Warning

• Satellite Imagery
• World Now
• NWS RADAR Mosaic
• Weather

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