Posted on 04/20/2010 10:26:27 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Get Ready for Decades of Icelandic Fireworks
Get Ready for Decades of Icelandic Fireworks We're not quite back to the pre-plane era, but air travel over and around the north Atlantic might get a lot more disrupted in the coming years.
Volcanologists say the fireworks exploding from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano on Iceland, which is responsible for the ash cloud that is grounding all commercial flights across northern Europe, may become a familiar sight. Increased rumblings under Iceland over the past decade suggest that the area is entering a more active phase, with more eruptions and the potential for some very large bangs.
"Volcanic activity on Iceland appears to follow a periodicity of around 50 to 80 years. The increase in activity over the past 10 years suggests we might be entering a more active phase with more eruptions," says Thorvaldur Thordarson, an expert on Icelandic volcanoes at the University of Edinburgh, UK. By contrast, the latter half of the 20th century was unusually quiet.
Along with increased volcanism, more seismic activity has been recorded around Iceland, including the magnitude-6.1 quake that rocked Reykjavik in May 2008.
(Excerpt) Read more at io9.com ...
That’s the ticket.
Or expensive technology. I can’t imagine that they can’t get treated glass for the windows at this time. There are a lot of people working on new materials. Engines probably the biggest problem. Volcanic ash gets hot in engines and melts - adding a coating of molten glass (from what I hear). Non stick coating on jet engine parts so the glass does not stick to the jet engine. Perhaps a vent somewhere, so the molten glass does not accumulate in the engine, but is removed to where it can be removed easier. Perhaps a molten glass trap. People have mentioned air filters before. It’s been said that wouldn’t work. So, a better air filter.
I believe that after Christ splits the Mt of Olives,
the planet will quiet down incredibly for a thousand years.
Probably on a case by case basis, airport by airport basis, there are conflicts between governments and airlines. Airlines do want to fly.
I’ve read about what volcanic ash can do. Which is different from saying what volcanic ash always does. There have been instances of the engines shutting down. Then there’s usually a scary dive which I believe in 100% of the cases has resulted in getting the engines turned on again.
One key question is exactly how much ash is causing the engines to fail. Lufthansa has flown planes in this ash and observed no damage. The Finnish Air Force did see damage.
Lufthansa wanted to get up there a couple days ago. Maybe they are now.
Here’s a link to Lufthansas take on all of this
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100421-703448.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines
Lufthansa CEO: Govt Ash Decision Didn’t Reflect Reality
Experts predicting decades of Icelandic fireworks is a good sign but we’ll really know the eruptions are about to end when Al Gore says they will continue for years.
Looks like a return to Atlantic steamship travel is coming up.
How will it affect the weather?
I just wanted to say, Windflier, that I’ve really enjoyed reading your informative posts on these volcano threads. I’ve learned a lot, and I appreciate it, FRiend. :)
“we’ll really know the eruptions are about to end when Al Gore says they will continue for years.”
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LOL! :)
Why don’t we throw a virgin or two in that thing?
Better yet, let’s use a bunch of dimocrats and throw them in there!
There is no such thing as a virgin Democrat. It is an oxymoron.:-)
Throwing in the likes of Nancy Pelosi or Ariana Huffington would only make volcano god angrier. He would unleash the mother of all volcanic eruption to eradicate human race from earth for such an offense.
Ummm.... good luck finding a democrat who is a virgin ;-)
great minds and all that
Well, I thought that throwing the dims in there may get rid of enough of the stuck on stupids.
It's not a 100% survival rate. Some planes' engines have been totally disabled by volcanic ash, and they've crashed. I don't have a link handy to those reports, but they should be easy to find.
If the survival rate was known to be 100%, the airspace over England wouldn't have been shut down.
One key question is exactly how much ash is causing the engines to fail. Lufthansa has flown planes in this ash and observed no damage. The Finnish Air Force did see damage.
Naturally, those aircraft that have survived an encounter with airborne volcanic ash have run into concentrations light enough that it didn't cause catastrophic engine failure. I doubt that anyone at present understands the exact tolerances at work with this, so the aviation authorities have erred on the side of caution.
A lot of good ideas in your post. We’ll see if the aircraft manufacturers begin addressing this problem with better technology.
For the time being, I suppose the aviation industry will just react accordingly to conditions as they arise.
You bet, friend. Glad I was helpful.
A very very great and much neglected artifact of true American Genius. Still holds the Blue Ribband for both crossings as I believe.
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