Ash cloud clears, Australia flights resume

A Virgin plane takes off at Sydney’s domestic airport June 22, 2011. Tens of thousands of air passengers faced more flight chaos in Australia on Wednesday caused by an ash cloud from a Chilean volcano, although grounded flights were starting to resume from some cities as the ash moved offshore


Australian airlines struggled to move a backlog of tens of thousands of passengers today after an ash cloud from a Chilean volcano, which had grounded flights across the country’s eastern and southern states, cleared .

The ash cloud has circled the earth twice to disrupt Australian airlines for a second time, costing Qantas an estimated A$20 million (RM64.20 million) before the latest disruptions and the tourism industry more than A$15 million in two weeks.

Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology’s Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre said long-term modelling suggested the ash cloud would not pass over Australia for a third time and disrupt airlines.

Volcanic ash can be extremely dangerous to aircraft and cause engine failure or engine damage.



Qantas said it had resumed flights from Melbourne and Sydney, the country’s two main terminals, while Virgin Australia had also resumed flights. Qantas low-cost subsidiary Jetstar and discount carrier Tiger Airlines were all also gradually resuming flights.

“There’s possibly some hope that Thursday will start to return to normal,” said Civil Aviation Safety Authority spokesman Peter Gibson.

The majority of international carriers continued flights to and from Australia today, with airlines including Singapore, Thai, Etihad and Emirates landing in Sydney.

A volcano in Chile’s Puyehue-Cordon Caulle chain erupted on June 4 after lying dormant for decades, the latest eruption to hit international travel.

Iceland’s most active volcano at Grimsvotn sent a thick plume of ash and smoke 25km into the sky last month, disrupting air travel in northern Europe.

The eruption of another Icelandic volcano in April 2010, Eyjafjallajokull, led to 100,000 cancelled flights, affecting 10 million people at a cost of US$1.7 billion (RM5.14 billion).

Australia’s Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said the disruption would impact the economy, already hit by natural disasters that cut 1.7 per cent from growth during the first three months of this year, the biggest decline in 20 years.

“Having that disruption to international services means lower revenue in terms of tourism and in a country such as ours, where we rely on aviation to connect each other and to the world, there is a bigger economic cost,” he said.

Air New Zealand domestic flights operated as scheduled today, while Jetstar in New Zealand said yesterday it would cancel all New Zealand domestic flights until midday today.

Andrew Tupper from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology’s Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre, said it was unlikely the ash cloud would make a third journey round the globe.

“The volcano is still erupting but not at the same levels,” he said. “It is very unusual for ash clouds to do two circuits.”

“The last time volcanic ash circled the globe in the southern hemisphere was in 1991.

Chilean ash cloud problems continue - Ash from Chilean volcano continues to disrupt flights

Peru's president-elect, Ollanta Humala, and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon are among those forced to take other modes of transport to reach Argentina. The ash cloud has also led Argentina to declare a state of emergency for farmers. ...

Chile volcano erupts, spits towering ash column

Residents walk on streets covered with ash from Chile’s Puyehue volcano 160km to the west, in the Argentine resort city of Bariloche on June 4, 2011. The volcano dormant for decades erupted in south-central Chile yesterday, belching ash over 10km into the sky,

A volcano dormant for decades erupted in south-central Chile yesterday, belching ash over 10km into the sky and prompting the government to evacuate several thousand residents, authorities said.

Winds fanned the ash toward neighboring Argentina, darkening the sky in the ski resort city of San Carlos de Bariloche, a government official there said, adding the city’s airport had been closed.

The eruption in the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcanic chain, about 920km south of the capital, Santiago, also prompted Chilean authorities to shut a heavily traveled border crossing into Argentina.



It was not immediately clear which of the chain’s four volcanoes had erupted because of ash cover and weather conditions. The chain last saw a major eruption in 1960. Local media said the smell of sulfur hung in the air and there was constant seismic activity.

“The Cordon Caulle (volcanic range) has entered an eruptive process, with an explosion resulting in a 10-km-high gas column,” state emergency office ONEMI said. The government said it was evacuating 3,500 people from the surrounding area as a precaution.

It was the latest in a series of volcanic eruptions in Chile in recent years. Chile’s Chaiten volcano erupted spectacularly in 2008 for the first time in thousands of years, spewing molten rock and a vast cloud of ash that reached the stratosphere. The ash also swelled a nearby river and ravaged a nearby town of the same name.

The ash cloud from Chaiten coated towns in Argentina and was visible from space.

Chile’s Llaima volcano, one of South America’s most active, erupted in 2008 and 2009.

Chile’s chain of about 2,000 volcanoes is the world’s second largest after Indonesia. Some 50 to 60 are on record as having erupted, and 500 are potentially active.

Europe on alert for Icelandic volcano ash cloud

Smoke rise from the Grimsvotn volcano, under the Vatnajokull glacier in southeast Iceland May 21, 2011.

An eruption by Iceland’s most active volcano was set to keep the island’s main airport shut today, while other European nations watched for any impact on their air routes from a towering plume of smoke and ash.

Experts said they saw little chance of a repeat of last year’s six-day closure of airspace, which also hit transatlantic flights, when another Icelandic volcano erupted, although airlines have been warned the new ash cloud will drift.

So far Iceland, particularly the towns and villages to the south and east of the Grimsvotn volcano, have suffered most. Day turned into night when a thick cloud of ash descended on the area, smothering cars and buildings.







The cloud had also begun to drift over the capital Reykjavik by late last evening and the civil aviation authority said the prospects for re-opening the main international airport on Monday were not good.

Europe’s air traffic control organization warned on its website that ash could spread southwards.

“Ash cloud is expected to reach North Scotland on Tuesday 24th May. If volcanic emissions continue with same intensity, cloud might reach west French airspace and north Spain on Thursday 26th May,” it said in a traffic bulletin.

Iceland’s meteorological office said the plume from Grimsvotn, which last exploded in 2004, had fallen to 10 to 15km in height from a peak of 25km.

But the eruption was much stronger than the one at a volcano further south last year which closed European airspace and halted transatlantic flights, due to worries that particles could get into aircraft engines and cause accidents. The airline industry said it lost US$1.7 billion (RM5.12 billion) in revenues.

“It could lead to some disruption, but only for a very limited time and only over a very limited area,” said University of Iceland Professor of Geophysics Magnus Tumi Gudmundsson.

“We see some signs that the (eruption’s) power is declining a bit, but it is still quite powerful,” he said, adding that the eruption was the most violent at the volcano since 1873.

LAYERS OF ASH

Gudmundsson and other vulcanologists said the impact on air travel this time would be more limited as winds were more favourable, the plume’s content was heavier and less likely to spread, and authorities had a higher tolerance for ash levels.

Some airlines complained that authorities had been excessively cautious in imposing blanket closures of airspace during last year’s eruption.

Icelandair, the main airline on the island, stopped flights on Sunday and said on its website the halt could continue on Monday. It said 6,000 passengers had been affected by cancellations so far.

Dave Mcgarvie, vulcanologist at Britain’s Open University, said any ash which reached Britain would be less than last year and added that experience gained since the 2010 eruption would lead to less disruption.

In emailed comments, he said “minor re-routing” should enable aircraft to avoid zones where ash is concentrated.

Grimsvotn lies under the Vatnajokull glacier in southeast Iceland, the largest glacier in Europe.

Areas to the south of glacier have been covered in thick layers of ash and the sun was blocked out for several hours.

“It was like night is during the winter,” said Benedikt Larusson, speaking in the town of Kirkjubaejarklaustur. “Now it is a little bit better. Now I can see about 100m, but before it was about one meter.”

Iceland volcanic ash threatens half-term getaway dozens of europe flights cancelled.

* BA, Easyjet, Loganair, KLM and Eastern Airways all cancel flights after Civil Aviation Authority warning
* President Obama cuts short his stay in Ireland to avoid effects of ash cloud
* Aviation sector says it is better prepared than last year
* Transport Secretary warns of further disruption in the week ahead
* Click here to see live video of volcano eruption viewed from space

Tens of thousands of families are facing air travel chaos from today – and into the half-term holidays – as a thick cloud of volcanic ash descends over the UK.

The towering plume of Icelandic ash, smoke and steam hit Scotland and Ireland last night, bringing disruption to airlines.

British Airways last night cancelled all flights between London and Scotland until 2pm today.

Between 30 and 40 BA flights will be affected from airports including Heathrow, Gatwick and London City to and from Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. The airline runs 80 flights a day between these airports.

This latest shot shows the ash cloud (the reddish colour) swirling into the atmosphere after spewing from the Grimsvotn volcano

Covered from head to toe with ski goggles and face mask this farmer's son - preparing to herd his sheep to shelter - looks like he is on the set of a science fiction film set

Looking up to the darkened sky because of the ash cloud, Sunna Agustdottir, seven, carries a new-born lamb to shelter at the family farm in Longumyri, Iceland

The ash billows into the sky from the Grimsvotn volcano, under the Vatnajokull glacier in south east Iceland

The huge puffs of ash from the active volcano could ruin many people's plans to jet off as it starts to drift into Europe

Sample: Ash is collected awaiting examination at the command centre in Kirkjubaejarklaustur as authorities prepare to deal with the effects of the eruption

Huge eruption: Smoke plumes from the Grimsvotn volcano create a stunning scene about 120 miles east of Rejkjavik

Chaos in the sky: Aerial view of the eruption of the volcano Grimsvotn in the south-east of Iceland which has forced shut its main international airport

Wearing a face mask, Anna Hardadottir, a farmer of Horgsland, leads a horse through the ash pouring out of the erupting volcano. It has spewed an ash cloud about 15 miles into the sky

An infra-red image showing the plume of smoke spreading out from south-east Iceland. The pinkish-red part shows the fallout from the eruption, the brown is normal cloud cover. Britain is braced in case it begins to drift east.

Stunning: As the volcano erupts, huge dark ash and storm clouds gather across the Icelandic skyline

Ash from the Grimsvotn volcano hanging in the sky over Iceland. The cloud has spewed 12 miles into the atmosphere

How are we going to get home? Tourists leave the Islandia Hotel yesterday in Nupur as ash continue to pour out of the erupting volcano

Electrical storm: Ash is hurled miles into the air by the eruption, creating thunderstorms around the volcano

Awesome power: Keflavik airport has been closed to air passengers as of 8.30am this morning following the eruption

Iceland Volcano May Disrupt European Air Traffic as Ash Cloud Reaches UK

An Icelandic volcanic eruption pushed an ash cloud toward the UK, curtailing US President Barack Obama's visit to Ireland and threatening to snarl air traffic across Europe.

Lava thrown 65ft into the air as new vent opens in Hawaiian volcano

A new vent has opened on one of the world's most active volcanos, sending lava shooting 65ft into the air.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said the fissure eruption on Kilauea was spotted after the floor of the Pu'u O'o crater collapsed.

It occurred along the middle of Kilauea's east rift zone, around two miles west of Pu'u O'o.

Volcanologist Janet Babb said: 'This is what we do. These are the moments we wait for.

'It is exciting to see an eruption begin particularly if you can see it from the very start.'

Kilauea has been in constant eruption since January 3, 1983.

 Interest: Kilauea Volcano has been erupting continuously since 1983

Charred: The molten rock can be seen pouring into a fissure after the 1,605ft vent opened up

Study: Scientists fly in a helicopter above the new vent on Hawaii's Big Island

Activity: Lava flows can be seen on Kilauea Volcano. The eruption threw the red hot molten rock 65ft into the air

Lava: The floor of the Pu'u O'o crater, pictured, collapsed on Saturday triggering new eruptions along the east rift zone

At the summit, lava receded rapidly after the eruption at around 5pm local time on Saturday, but seemed to have slowed yesterday.

There were also around 150 small earthquakes recorded within Kilauea in the last 24 hours.

Scientists said areas near the vent could erupt or collapse without warning, posing a threat to visitors or hikers to the area.

Potentially lethal concentrations of sulphur dioxide gas could also be present within half a mile of vent areas.

Because of the latest activity, the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has closed Chain of Craters Road and all east rift zone and coastal trails. Kulanaokuaiki campground has also been closed until further notice.

Ms Babb told the Hawaii Tribune-Herald that the fissure had expanded to around 1,605ft long and scientists were hiking into the remote area to observe it and take readings.

No homes are under threat.

Icelandic volcano set to erupt dwarfing last year's devastation, warn scientists

Scientists in Iceland are warning that another volcano on the island looks set to erupt, threatening to spew-out a blanket of dust that would dwarf last year's eruption.

Geologists detected the high risk of a new eruption after noticing an increased swarm of earthquakes around the island's second largest volcano Bárdarbunga.

Pall Einarsson, a professor of geophysics at the University of Iceland, says the area around Bárdarbunga is showing signs of increased activity, which provides 'good reason to worry'.

Last year's eruption of volcanos near Eyjafjallajokull, located in the south of the island, caused chaos around the world as hundreds of planes were grounding due to dust and ash filling the sky.

 Cloud: Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano spews ash and ice into the air causing travel chaos  in May last year with hundreds of planes grounded

 Eruption: Lava flows from Eyjafjallajokul sending plumes of thick black smoke high into the air in Iceland

Mr Einarsson told the country's national TV station 'RC:v' that a low number of seismometer measuring devices in the area is making it more difficult to determine the scale and likely outcome of the current shifts.

But he said there was 'every reason to worry' as the sustained earthquake tremors to the north-east of the remote volcano range are the strongest recorded in recent times and there was 'no doubt' the lava was rising.

The geologist complained that the lack of coverage from measuring devices means he cannot accurately detect the depth and exact location of the increased number of localised earth movements.

'This is the most active areas of the country if we look at the whole country together,' he told Icelandic TV News.

'There is no doubt that lava there is slowly growing, and the seismicity of the last few days is a sign of it.

We need better measurements because it is difficult to determine the depth of earthquakes because it is in the middle of the country and much of the area is covered with glaciers.'

Eruptions at the Eyjafjallajokull volcano thrust torrents of molten rock through the shattered ice sheets in the mountain crater, spewing a towering wall of ash, dust and steam high into the air.

Respected volcano watcher Jón Frímann, said on his volcano watch blog: 'After the
Eyjafjallajokull volcano eruption in 2010 it seems that geologists in Iceland take earthquake swarms more seriously then they did before.'

He explained the Icelandic Met Office had on Sunday warned of the increased risk of a eruption in north-west side of Vatnajökulll glacier due to the high earthquake activity in the area, and added: 'It is clear that only time is going to tell us if there is going to be a eruption in this area soon or not.'

The last recorded eruption of Bárdarbunga was in 1910, although vulcanologists believe its last major eruption occurred in 1477 when it produced a huge plume of ash and pumice and the largest known lava flow during the past 10,000 years on Earth.

It is the second largest volcano on Iceland and is directly above the mantle of molten rock.

 Could this happen again? Scientists fear that the Bardabunga volcano could cause similar scenes if it erupts

 Delays: Thousands of passengers whose flights were cancelled were forced to travel hundreds of miles by coach or ferry

 Stuck: Passengers queue to board coaches for other airports, after their flights were cancelled due to the volcanic ash cloud re-entering the UK's airspace last year

Indonesian volcano erupts scattering ash 15 miles - 30,000 people forced to evacuate danger zone

An Indonesian volcano, Mount Sinabung, shot a towering cloud of black ash high in to the air this morning, dusting villages 15 miles away in its most powerful eruption since awakening last week from four centuries of dormancy.

The eruption occurred just after midnight in the early hours of this morning during a torrential downpour.

Witnesses said volcanic ash and mud oozed down the mountain's slopes, flooding into abandoned homes. Others said saw bursts of fire and hot ash, and the force of the explosion could be felt five miles away.

'Ring of fire': The eruption at Mount Sinabung caught many scientists off guard - local vulcanologists have to monitor more than 129 active volcanoes

Some witnesses at the foot of Mount Sinabung reported seeing an orange glow - presumably magma - in cracks along the volcano's slopes for the first time.

'It was really terrifying,' said Anissa Siregar, 30, as she and her two children arrived by truck at an emergency shelter near the base, adding the mountain shook violently for at least three minutes. 'It just keeps getting worse.'

Mount Sinabung's first eruption last week caught many scientists off guard. With more than 129 active volcanoes to watch, local vulcanologists had failed to monitor the long-quiet mountain for rising magma, slight uplifts in land and other signs of seismic activity.

There are fears that current activity could foreshadow a much more destructive explosion in the coming weeks or months, though it is possible, too, that Singabung will go back to sleep after letting off steam.

More than 30,000 people living along the volcano's fertile slopes have been relocated to cramped refugee camps, mosques and churches in nearby villages.

But some - such as Siregar, the mother who fled with her children - have insisted on returning to the danger zone to check on their homes and their dust-covered crops.

The government sent dozens of trucks to the mountain to help carry them back before today's eruption, which sent ash and debris shooting three miles (5,000 metres) into the air, said Surono, who heads the nation's volcano alert centre.

Local media said ash had reached as far as Berastagi, a district 15 miles (25 kilometers) from the base of the mountain.

Surono said activity was definitely on the rise: There were more than 80 volcanic earthquakes in the 24-hour lead up to the blast, compared to 50 on Friday, when ash and debris shot nearly two miles (3,000 metres).

Indonesia is a seismically charged region because of its location on the so-called 'Ring of Fire' - a series of fault lines stretching from the Western Hemisphere through Japan and Southeast Asia.
It has recorded some of the largest eruptions in history.

The 1815 explosion of Mount Tambora buried the inhabitants of Sumbawa Island under searing ash, gas and rock, killing an estimated 88,000 people.

The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa could be heard 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) away and blackened skies region-wide for months. At least 36,000 people were killed in the blast and the tsunami that followed.

Ash cloud: More than 30,000 people living along the volcano's fertile slopes have been relocated to cramped refugee camps, mosques and churches in nearby villages

Tower of ash: The frightening scenes at the foot of Mount Sinabung, where the ash clouds cover local houses

'Terrifying': Mount Sinabung in Indonesia has awoken after four centuries of dormancy - and after the latest, most powerful eruption, the ash as reached villages 15 miles from the base