whoa, a Volcanoe started erupting some 15 miles away

[trax1]

Thats gotta be weird, having an eruption under a glacier, guess it takes a while to even know if it's erupted until it melts the ice above it.

[Angus]

You'd be surprized about how fast it goes. By now the smoke is up to 22.000 feet, and a crater-hole somewhere between 200-500 metres wide is measureable. (The coast guard has some night vision equipment to see through the clouds from their aircraft).
We did have our "tourist" eruption with minimal risk, but here is something more real at work.
It's in the middle of the glacier, so it is going to look quite dashing when the clouds clear.
Water levels are now rising very fast.
Here is the mountain info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyjafjallaj%C3%B6kull
A link to our page with a picture of the glacier on the top. This is what it looks like from where I live:
http://www.gardsauki.is/eng/galerie_eng.html

[Angus]

Looks beautiful. Will be ugly...afterwards...

[trax1]

(Image removed from quote.)

Looks beautiful. Will be ugly...afterwards...

Oh yeah, definitely some beautiful sheep there, just keep the Bish away from them.

[Angus]

Your sheep are belong to us
Anyway, it's a decent eruption with some flood of molten ice ,- that is dirty water, - making it's way to the sea over anything in it's way. However, it could be worse.

[Dadsguns]

And ain't it great to know that something like a quarter of the Western Lower 48 is sitting right smack on top of one of the biggest frelling time bombs in the world? If Yellowstone were to ever go up it'd probably take half the country with it.

Stay safe, Angus. Like SIK said: Don't hesitate to get out if it turns bad.

Wouldn't that be ironic, destroyed from within our own heartland .....   

[ghi]

Something is not right with our old planet, lots of seismic activity; there are reports of earthquakes almost every day in news over past 2-3 moths. Today China got hit bad and who knows what's next! I hope they slow down before getting worst.

[Babalonian]

Angus, no disrespect I hope, but how the heck do you pronounce "Eyjafjallajökull" in an english/american way that somewhat sounds like the way it's supposed to?

[Angus]

It is a tongue-breaker
Anyway, now he ashes are falling and they stop air-traffic. This will affect the N-Atlantic now. With an unfortunate wind direction, trans-Atlantic flights might stop.
Ash-fall forecast here:
http://www.ruv.is/sites/default/files/skjol/oskuspa.jpg
And a heck of a picture, - probably the best farm in the country, right under the kettle:

[Simba]

Angus, yo' prediction has come to pass - all UK airports are suspending flights this morning due to the ash plume heading our way.

Ah well, at least it ain't Krakatoa going BOOOOOOM again.

 

[Angus]

Naaa, but we have a much bigger one ready to go
Now, here is a link to how the name of the mountain is pronounced. Happy days practizing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Eyjafjallaj%C3%B6kull.ogg
And the Reuters report:
http://www.mbl.is/mm/frettir/innlent/2010/04/15/eg_hef_aldrei_sed_svona_adur/
I live at the edge of the evacuation area, so I do not have to move. Since we run a guesthouse we have got to know some of the traffic involved, both tourists and people we know.
The evacuation went very smoothly, and actually started before an eruption was confirmed. Scientists you see....and ours that work in the Volcano field do not have to travel the globe to acqure a lot of practice...and data.
 

[Nilsen]

All air traffic is stopped in Norway now. Rest of scandinanvia and northern europe will follow or has stopped. Also some flights out of the UK are stopped but i dont think they have closed everything down yet. Depends on the wind direction. Hopefully it will turn west towards the US and stop before it gets there.

[gpwurzel]

Stay safe Angus, and an odd question, but would you happen to have any rooms open for hire? Asking on behalf of a friend who loves volcano's.


Cheers bud,

Wurzel

[Simba]

<imagines Wurzel's friend setting off for Iceland in a kayak 'cos there's no flights>

 

[Nilsen]

<imagines Wurzel's friend setting off for Iceland in a kayak 'cos there's no flights>