Powerful Explosive Eruption at Eyjafjallajökull Volcano

Eruption rate believed to be 200 tons per second: IMO

The average height of the volcanic plume is about 7 km (21,000 ft), according to radar observations, with the gray plume drifting northeast.

At least 70 flashes of lightning struck in a 12 hour period with a maximum of 10 flashes per hour, IMO reported.

An ongoing powerful explosive eruption at the current plume height suggests that the eruption rate is at least 200 tons per second, IMO said.

For more details see status report.

This natural-color satellite image was acquired by MODIS aboard NASA’s Terra satellite on May 18, 2010 at 12:20 p.m. local time. The pale gray ash plume blows from the summit of Eyjafjallajökull almost directly northwest. Eurocontrol said the airspace over Europe was open, and ash was unlikely to affect flights until May 20, 2010. Image and [edited] caption: NASA E/O. Download large image (2 MB, JPEG). Click image to enlarge.

MODIS on NASA’s Aqua satellite passed over Eyjafjallajökull and acquired this natural-color image on May 17, 2010.  Image and [edited] caption: NASA E/O. Download large image (2 MB, JPEG). Click image to enlarge.

Related Links:

• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption – Satellite Animation 6 – 17 May
• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption Closes Down Main UK Airports
• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption Gradually Intensifying
• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption – MISR Satellite Image
• Eyjafjallajökull Volcano: Unending Eruption
• 2010 Year of Super Volcanoes?
• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption Links Page [This page contains a comprehensive index of links to resources on Eyjafjallajökull including additional satellite images.]

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Eyjafjallajökull Eruption – MISR Satellite Image

Images of the 2nd Round of Eruption at Eyjafjallajökull Volcano

Eyjafjallajökull Volcano produced its second major ash plume of 2010 on May 7.  The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite collected data on ash height when it passed just east of the Eyjafjallajökull Volcano mid-morning on May 7.

MISR has nine different cameras, each viewing the scene below from a difference angle nearly simultaneously. By combining all these images using a hyper-stereo technique, scientists can calculate the height of the ash plume.

The above image is a natural-color, nadir (downwards-looking) view of the scene. The top image is the stereo-derived plume height. Each pixel in the image shows an area 1.1 kilometers (0.68 miles) wide. The vertical accuracy is about 0.5km.

Much of the plume resides between 4 and 6 kilometers above the ocean surface (orange and red color in the right image), but the ash descends to near 3 kilometers yellow-green) far downwind.  Images and caption: NASA/MISR [edited for brevity.]

Status Report – 15 May 2010 (3:55UTC)

The Icelandic Met Office (IMO) reported plume reaching a height of about 7 km (24,000 ft) drifting in a  southwesterly direction. Ashfall was detected in the capital Reykjavík.

At least  50 lightning strikes were recorded during the previous 24 hours. No major changes in the activity were reported. There’s no sign the eruption could end anytime soon.

For details of status report by IMO and others click here.

LATEST NEWS FROM ICELAND:

Volcanic ash from Eyjafjallajokull eruption has forced the authorities to shut down the intentional airport at Reykjavík, the country’s main airport, authorities say.

UK Airspace

Parts of the UK’s airspace may close on Sunday as volcanic ash clouds continue to drift south of Iceland, the UK Department for Transport said, BBC reported.

Last week, about a dozen airports in southern Europe were forced to close and many flights were re-routed to avoid the risk from the Icelandic ash clouds.

Related Links:

• Eyjafjallajökull Volcano: Unending Eruption
• 2010 Year of Super Volcanoes?
• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption UPDATE – Latest MODIS Image
• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption – Latest Satellite Image
• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption Links Page [This page contains a comprehensive index of links to resources on Eyjafjallajökull including additional satellite images.]

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Serial No 1,729. 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).