Volcano eruption in Iceland disrupts UK, Norwegian flights

[Neil]

Canada?  Who cares.

I think he's talking about Greenland.

At any rate, the UK deserves this.

[Caliga]

You're next.

I don't think so.  The second that cloud starts drifting southwest we'll be politely requesting that the Icelanders do something to fix the glitch.  Oh, and our words are backed by nuclear weapons.

[Zanza]

My sister got the last flight from Calcutta to Frankfurt after all so she made it back. But it will still be interesting how my mother comes back. But Lufthansa and Air Berlin will operate some flights at low heights to bring back tourists, so maybe she's lucky.

[Legbiter]

I've been glancing at the volcano on a live webcam and for the last hour it's been throwing up a very dark cloud and it's alot higher than previously today. I just don't see how airlines will be able to fly in the UK tomorrow.

http://eldgos.mila.is/eyjafjallajokull-fra-thorolfsfelli/

24/7 link of the eruption.

[Neil]

My sister got the last flight from Calcutta to Frankfurt after all so she made it back. But it will still be interesting how my mother comes back. But Lufthansa and Air Berlin will operate some flights at low heights to bring back tourists, so maybe she's lucky.

They're going to fly low over Russia?

I hope they have fun getting KAL 007'ed.

[Razgovory]

Canada?  Who cares.

You're next.

Pretty sure that's Canada.

[Agelastus]

Many conversations here about the volcano and its import eventually seem to migrate to Katla, a far more powerful volcano on Iceland's southern coast just east of Eyjafjallajokull. Scientists fear that the recent volcanic activity at Eyjafjallajokull could set off Katla, which erupts on average about twice a century, the last time in 1918 when it set off dangerous glacial floods.

Twice a century, but 92 years since the last eruption?

So, due to a constipated volcano, ICELAND'S DOOMED...

[Barrister]

DOMED!!!!11111

[Zanza]

The German airlines got permission to fly again and expect to be back at normal flight operations by Thursday.

[Neil]

The German airlines got permission to fly again and expect to be back at normal flight operations by Thursday.

I wonder if the government will take the heat when the first plane crashes, or if it will be the airlines who get sued?

[Razgovory]

The German airlines got permission to fly again and expect to be back at normal flight operations by Thursday.

I wonder if the government will take the heat when the first plane crashes, or if it will be the airlines who get sued?

To many Germans around these days anyway.

[sbr]

Canada?  Who cares.

You're next.

I'm sure when it gets close to a civilized country someone will tackle the Ash Cloud and end this nonsense.

[Legbiter]

ICELAND'S DOOMED...

Actually Iceland will probably be fine if Katla blows it's top. The southern coast is only sparsely populated. There would be some disruption to the main Route 1 which tracks south of Katla, but nothing we haven't dealt with in the past.

Eruptions from Katla are historically bigger than the current eruption, but I think the press is getting over excited. There were a pair of eruptions in Katla in the 18th Century which rate as VEI 5, which put them in the same league as Mount St. Helens. On a global scale Katla is not huge and it's eruptions since the Age of Settlement have peaked at only one tenth as powerful as the related Laki fissure system which erupted 1783-84.

The 1918 eruption was the largest in Iceland in the past century and the only one from the mountain to be well documented. It dumped enough rubble to extend the coastline by 5km in places. Icebergs the size of office blocks were ripped out of the Mýrdalsjökull and left stranded on the low-lying area to the south.  But even 1918 was only a tenth as powerful as Katla's eruption of 1755. Judging by the deposits that one left behind, at it's peak the glacier was releasing as much water as the Amazon. 

If Katla were to erupt it would produce a similar ash plume to that we're seeing right now, only much bigger. The 1918 eruption produced measurable ash fall in Northern Ireland and Scotland which went on to poison livestock. Plus, it might shut down all air traffic in the US and Europe.

[HisMajestyBOB]

DOMED!!!!11111

That's actually a pretty good solution to this Iceland spewing ash everywhere problem.

[Cecil]

ICELAND'S DOOMED...

Actually Iceland will probably be fine if Katla blows it's top. The southern coast is only sparsely populated. There would be some disruption to the main Route 1 which tracks south of Katla, but nothing we haven't dealt with in the past.

Eruptions from Katla are historically bigger than the current eruption, but I think the press is getting over excited. There were a pair of eruptions in Katla in the 18th Century which rate as VEI 5, which put them in the same league as Mount St. Helens. On a global scale Katla is not huge and it's eruptions since the Age of Settlement have peaked at only one tenth as powerful as the related Laki fissure system which erupted 1783-84.

The 1918 eruption was the largest in Iceland in the past century and the only one from the mountain to be well documented. It dumped enough rubble to extend the coastline by 5km in places. Icebergs the size of office blocks were ripped out of the Mýrdalsjökull and left stranded on the low-lying area to the south.  But even 1918 was only a tenth as powerful as Katla's eruption of 1755. Judging by the deposits that one left behind, at it's peak the glacier was releasing as much water as the Amazon. 

If Katla were to erupt it would produce a similar ash plume to that we're seeing right now, only much bigger. The 1918 eruption produced measurable ash fall in Northern Ireland and Scotland which went on to poison livestock. Plus, it might shut down all air traffic in the US and Europe.

Problem with Katla is that its supposed to errupt twice every century and now the press is getting all lathered up over the fact that it hasnt erupted for nearly a hundred years. In their eyes this can only mean a big one is on its way. I guess we shall wait and see, cant sit at home waiting for the roof to fall in.