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General => News => Topic started by: landimad on April 15, 2010, 08:37:15

Title: Volcanic Ash
Post by: landimad on April 15, 2010, 08:37:15
Has anyone had any thought on this cloud coming towards us? :o
I have been watching it and the Flight paths do not concern me, but will it drop the ash on this country! :-X
If it does what will it do for our plants and also what will the effects of temperatures, daytime and over night will have on our growing season.
We all have a worry or not about this and how it will impact on our daily lives.
Blocking out the sun will drop temperatures and clearing skies to follow over night will keep them close to freezing. Looks as though we are going to have to wait before we put the plants duvets away just yet.
Is this good for our plants? Keeping them under wraps and is it good for the soil?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8621407.stm
Above is a link to have a nose at and see what the course of the Ash cloud is taking. :o
Title: Re: Volcanic Ash
Post by: Bugloss2009 on April 15, 2010, 11:01:09
All UK flights cancelled....
Title: Re: Volcanic Ash
Post by: saddad on April 15, 2010, 11:24:16
There was a big volcanic cloud at the end of the 1770's which caused massive damage to plants/harvests and contributed to the famines in France that helped spark the French Revolution....  :-X
Title: Re: Volcanic Ash
Post by: Bugloss2009 on April 15, 2010, 11:37:16
maybe we'll have another Summer That Never Was  ??? 1816, or likt the one in Iceland where they all died of Fluorine poisoning
Title: Re: Volcanic Ash
Post by: manicscousers on April 15, 2010, 12:26:36
cheerful lot, I was quite enjoying the thought of a nice sunset  ;D
Title: Re: Volcanic Ash
Post by: Mortality on April 15, 2010, 12:29:31
Scary, they recon the other volcanoes in the area might also erupt. :-\
Title: Re: Volcanic Ash
Post by: Bugloss2009 on April 15, 2010, 12:34:51
the bbc website has a page "eerie atmosphere in Aberdeen". so no change there then yet  ;D
Title: Re: Volcanic Ash
Post by: lillian on April 15, 2010, 12:47:04
 30,000 Britains were killed by lethal gas and fine  dust from Iceland's Laki Volcano which erupted in 1783 :o
Title: Re: Volcanic Ash
Post by: goodlife on April 15, 2010, 16:28:48
volcanic ash..FREE fertilizer!!! ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Volcanic Ash
Post by: :( on April 15, 2010, 17:26:57
I can smell it now.
Title: Re: Volcanic Ash
Post by: saddad on April 15, 2010, 17:28:22
Thankfully it hasn't settled here yet....
Title: Re: Volcanic Ash
Post by: Digeroo on April 15, 2010, 18:01:50
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6276291.stm



Title: Re: Volcanic Ash
Post by: lavenderlux on April 15, 2010, 18:21:34
'The Summer that Never Was - 1816' was due to a volcano in Indonesia!
Title: Re: Volcanic Ash
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on April 15, 2010, 19:33:02
It'll be settling, but don't worry, there won't be enough for anyone to notice. It takes a truly massive eruption to put enough dust into the stratosphere to affect the climate. This one isn't on that scale, and it's the wrong type of volcano to do it. It's a basalt eruption, with very liquid lava, so it'll bubble away fairly quietly as the gas comes off, and be spectacular rather than dangerous. It's not on the scale of Laki in 1783, so it's not producing anywhere near the volume of gas needed to poison cattle this far away. That one was truly exceptional.

The sort of eruption which affects the climate is like Mount St. Helens in 1980. It's a combination of very sticky lava that won't flow easily and enormous quantities of gas. The gases come out of solution as the lava rises to the surface and the pressure comes off. They can't bubble away quietly, so they blow the lava to shreds in an explosive eruption - Mount St Helens was triggered by an earthquake which cause the whole side of the peak to slide away, revealing the magma chamber. The force of it blows dust to such an altitude that it can circulate for several years, but again, it's very exceptional.

The only real danger with the current eruption, as long as aircraft keep out of the cloud, is if Katla, which is on the same fault, blows in sympathy. It's right under a small ice cap, and melts half the ice. For a while, it's dammed by the remaining ice, and forms a large lake. Eventually, it gets deep enough to float the remaining ice, unleashing a flood which makes the Amazon look like a trickle. It's purely a local problem though, so no need for anyone to start building an ark.
Title: Re: Volcanic Ash
Post by: Jeannine on April 16, 2010, 03:06:50
When St Helens blew , we got some ash.. not heavy but it was very fine grey dust, the closer you lived towards the mountain the heavier the ash was.I remember gathering a canning jar full and mixing it with glaze which I used on a pot and fired it, it left a fine gritty texture in the fired glaze, it surprised me as it was fine  dust but as  it flowed in the glaze it changed, clumped together and gave the texture.

I  remember  areas which we saw on the TV where the dust was ankle deep.

It was quite the event, we were all glued to the TV waiting for it to blow.

Fortunately we were far enough away to only get a very fine dusting.

XX Jeannine
Title: Re: Volcanic Ash
Post by: djbrenton on April 16, 2010, 07:24:17
Bro-in law NOT flying to Australia today. Work colleague NOT setting off to Maritius today. My heart bleeds  ;D
Title: Re: Volcanic Ash
Post by: saddad on April 16, 2010, 07:59:12
 
Quoteunleashing a flood which makes the Amazon look like a trickle. It's purely a local problem though, so no need for anyone to start building an ark.

Unless they live in that corner of Iceland of course...  :-X
Title: Re: Volcanic Ash
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on April 16, 2010, 10:28:21
I doubt whether anyone does, since it's an event that repeats periodically. It'll blow out the coast road so badly it'll take ages to repair, but it's already been cut by a small flood from the current eruption.
Title: Re: Volcanic Ash
Post by: Digeroo on April 16, 2010, 11:01:44
There is a layer of fine dust all over my car just washed it off.

I feel sorry for all the people who are stuck somewhere trying to get home.
Title: Re: Volcanic Ash
Post by: antipodes on April 16, 2010, 11:33:51
My brother is meant to be flying to see us from London tomorrow morning! He is in a right state. But maybe the flights will be back on tomorrow...
Title: Re: Volcanic Ash
Post by: tonybloke on April 17, 2010, 08:52:15
peace and quiet in the skies, the sound of bird-song instead of bloody jet aircraft, let's have a bit more of this volcanic ash. ;)
Title: Re: Volcanic Ash
Post by: OllieC on April 17, 2010, 09:37:45
Quote from: tonybloke on April 17, 2010, 08:52:15
peace and quiet in the skies, the sound of bird-song instead of bloody jet aircraft, let's have a bit more of this volcanic ash. ;)

That's what I was thinking! It's such a stupid way to travel anyway, hopefully it will run for a few months, the airlines will shut up shop and we'll come up with more sensible ways to get around! I'll miss my sunny holidays but it's a small price to pay.
Title: Re: Volcanic Ash
Post by: asbean on April 17, 2010, 10:03:35
Bit tough for people who survive on out-of-season fruit and veg - they will grind to a halt pretty soon  :o :o
Title: Re: Volcanic Ash
Post by: cornykev on April 17, 2010, 10:41:01
And thousands more out of work, great.  :( :( :(
Title: Re: Volcanic Ash
Post by: Baccy Man on April 17, 2010, 10:54:44
The military seem to of stopped flying in the area temporarily but the air ambulance/search & recue helicopters are still about although that's to be expected in tourist season.
Title: Re: Volcanic Ash
Post by: Vortex on April 17, 2010, 12:27:46
That's because helicopters don't fly at 20,000 ft or greater nor (unless they're Gazelles, Apache's and a few others) have jet turbines for thrust.
You'll also not it doesn't affect prop driven aircraft as observed by the planes used by the scientists monitoring the eruptions.

If the airspace below 20,000 feet wasn't so crowded they could route all aircraft in and out that way an get them to climb to cruising altitude when out of the danger zone.
Title: Re: Volcanic Ash
Post by: Baccy Man on April 17, 2010, 12:45:49
Quote from: Vortex on April 17, 2010, 12:27:46
That's because helicopters don't fly at 20,000 ft or greater

Nor do the military aircraft around here, in this part of Wales (designated LFA 7T (http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/WhatWeDo/AirSafetyandAviation/LowFlying/LFAs/) by the MOD) it is not exactly uncommon for them to be flying lower than you are walking or for the air pressure to knock people over as they go past (big part of the reason search & rescue are out looking for hikers so regularly). They only fly higher when they pass a town or village.
Title: Re: Volcanic Ash
Post by: landimad on April 18, 2010, 06:25:10
All the low flying aircraft have ceased around us, as there is a radar station not to far away. They test all systems with a variety of flying craft.
Still at least the balloon fest went well in Northampton yesterday. plenty of them to be seen in the skies.
So peaceful without the drone and woosh. ;)
Title: Re: Volcanic Ash
Post by: lillian on April 18, 2010, 08:24:19
All quite in mid suffolk, only one bi-plane ;D
Title: Re: Volcanic Ash
Post by: carosanto on April 18, 2010, 16:35:52
Hi Y'All

Upside:    sparkling blue day here in the Wild West, no sign of haze, not a cloud in the sky.  Really warm with just the whisper of a breeze to keep me cool on the lottie. 

Downside:  I don't think we'll be going on holiday on Wednesday!!

Regards, Caro
Title: Re: Volcanic Ash
Post by: taurus on April 18, 2010, 17:35:21
feel sorry for my little grandson who has been looking forward to going to Egypt for weeks with his mum and her parents.  He came to my house instead and helped dig out the soil for my new potting shed.  Had to smile as the shovel was as tall as him.  But he was determind to help his dad. Bless  :) :)