Tens of thousands of people across northern Europe have faced flight disruptions after a dangerous ash cloud from a volcano eruption in Iceland billowed throughout the region's skies.
Airports across UK, Ireland, Norway, Holland and Finland have closed down their airspaces, cancelling all flights.
Al Jazeera's Emma Hayward reports.
What to do Before a Volcanic Eruption
Add a pair of goggles and disposable breathing mask for each member of the family to your disaster supply kit.
Stay away from active volcano sites.
If you live near a known volcano, active or dormant, be ready to evacuate at a moment's notice.
Volcanoes are not limited to Hawaii. (Remember Mount St. Helens in Washington?) The United States ranks third among nations with active volcanoes, and 10% of eruptions over the last 10,000 years have occurred here.
PARIS — The Icelandic volcano that has kept much of Europe land-bound is far from ... Facing days to come under the volcano's unpredictable, ashy plume, ...
The Associated Press
VOLCANOS WHAT SHOULD OR CAN WE DO?
by James Gibson
A volcano is an opening, or rupture, in a planet's surface or crust, which allows hot magma, ash and gases to escape from below the surface. The word volcano is derived from the name of Vulcano island off Sicily which in turn, was named after Vulcan, the Roman god of fire.
Another downside is that the volcano material in the stratosphere damages Earth's ozone shield against ultraviolet radiation.
Recent Events:
Mount St. Helens was dormant for over 100 years before erupting in 1980, killing 58 people and doing over $1 billion in damage.
The rock exploding from Mount St. Helens traveled at 250mph and was still going 60mph when it was 15 miles away.
Oregon's Crater Lake is a volcano that blew its top off about 6500 years ago.
Mt. Pinatubo in the Phillipines killed 342 people and caused the evacuation of 250,000 in 1992.
Many ancient accounts ascribe volcanic eruptions to supernatural causes, such as the actions of gods or demigods. To the ancient Greeks, volcanoes' capricious power could only be explained as acts of the gods, while 16th/17th-century German astronomer Johannes Kepler believed they were ducts for the Earth's tears. One early idea counter to this was proposed by Jesuit Athanasius Kircher (1602–1680), who witnessed eruptions of Mount Etna and Stromboli, then visited the crater of Vesuvius and published his view of an Earth with a central fire connected to numerous others caused by the burning of sulfur, bitumen and coal. Various explanations were proposed for volcano behavior before the modern understanding of the Earth's mantle structure as a semisolid material was developed. For decades after awareness that compression and radioactive materials may be heat sources, their contributions were specifically discounted. Volcanic action was often attributed to chemical reactions and a thin layer of molten rock near the surface.
Volcano Danger
The further from the volcano you are, the more time you have to respond and the fewer dangers exist. Immediately around the volcano, dangers include earthquake damage, flying rocks, heat blast, lava, floods, and mudslides. Rocks can be thrown 20 miles from a volcanic eruption but the ash can travel hundreds of miles.
Ash facts include:
can dissipate into the high altitude windstream and travel around the globe, possibly causing world-wide temperature changes.
can clog water systems, damage vehicle engines, make walking slippery, and effect vegetation.
can damage lungs and cause respiratory problems because it is extremely abrasive. It can also scratch eye tissue.
can accumulate and collapse buildings. 1 inch of ash weighs up to 10 pounds dry and up to 15 pounds when wet.
can short circuit electrical items such as computers.
can cause power outages which often happen after an eruption.
can corrode metal with long-term exposure.
can linger and cause problems for months and months after an eruption.
There is usually plenty of warning that a volcano is preparing to erupt. Scientists monitor the Cascade range volcanoes as well as those in Hawaii and Alaska for information to help predict volcanic events. Many communities close to volcanoes now have volcano warning systems to alert citizens. But, if you live anywhere in Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Utah, and possibly Wyoming and Nevada you may be affected by an eruption in the Cascade range. Taking a few precautions now won't cost much and are a good idea to do anyway:
Keep 3 extra air filters and oil filters on hand for your vehicle.
Keep 3 extra filters for your home heating/cooling system.
Keep a roll of plastic wrap and packing tape so you can wrap and protect computers, electronics, and appliances from ash.
Store emergency food and water in your home.
Find out if your community has a warning system and know the warning signs.
Create an evacuation plan. It is best to head for high ground away from the eruption to protect against flood danger.
Define an out-of-town contact for all family members to reach to check in.
Besides your family emergency kit, have disposable breathing masks and goggles for each family member.
The 16 current Decade Volcanoes are:
* Avachinsky-Koryaksky, Kamchatka, Russia * Nevado de Colima, Jalisco and Colima, Mexico * Mount Etna, Sicily, Italy * Galeras, Nariño, Colombia * Mauna Loa, Hawaii, USA * Mount Merapi, Central Java, Indonesia * Mount Nyiragongo, Democratic Republic of the Congo * Mount Rainier, Washington, USA * Sakurajima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan * Santa Maria/Santiaguito, Guatemala * Santorini, Cyclades, Greece * Taal Volcano, Luzon, Philippines * Teide, Canary Islands, Spain * Ulawun, New Britain, Papua New Guinea * Mount Unzen, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan * Vesuvius, Naples, Italy
This documentary BELOW> explores New Mexico's vast volcanic history through craters, cinder cones, lava flows and mountains that have blown their tops - to reveal stories of New Mexico's cataclysmic beginning. Orginally broadcast on New Mexico PBS station KNME. Produced in collaboration with the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science and originally broadcast on New Mexico PBS station KNME-TV, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
A supervolcano is a large volcano that usually has a large caldera and can potentially produce devastation on an enormous, sometimes continental, scale. Such eruptions would be able to cause severe cooling of global temperatures for many years afterwards because of the huge volumes of sulfur and ash erupted. They are the most dangerous type of volcano. Examples include Yellowstone Caldera in Yellowstone National Park and Valles Caldera in New Mexico (both western United States), Lake Taupo in New Zealand, Lake Toba in Sumatra, Indonesia and Ngorogoro Crater in Tanzania. Supervolcanoes are hard to identify centuries later, given the enormous areas they cover. Large igneous provinces are also considered supervolcanoes because of the vast amount of basalt lava erupted, but are non-explosive.
VOLCANO INFORMATION FROM THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY- FEMA
The Federal Emergency Management Agency - a former independent agency that became part of the new Department of Homeland Security in March 2003 - is tasked with responding to, planning for, recovering from and mitigating against disasters.
What to Do During a Volcanic Eruption
If a Volcano Erupts Where You Live
Follow the evacuation order issued by authorities and evacuate immediately from the volcano area to avoid flying debris, hot gases, lateral blast, and lava flow.
Be aware of mudflows. The danger from a mudflow increases near stream channels and with prolonged heavy rains. Mudflows can move faster than you can walk or run. Look upstream before crossing a bridge, and do not cross the bridge if a mudflow is approaching.
Avoid river valleys and low-lying areas.
Remember to help your neighbors who may require special assistance - infants, elderly people, and people with disabilities.
Protection from Falling Ash
Listen to a battery-powered radio or television for the latest emergency information.
If you have a respiratory ailment, avoid contact with any amount of ash.
Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
Use goggles and wear eyeglasses instead of contact lenses.
Use a dust mask or hold a damp cloth over your face to help with breathing.
Stay away from areas downwind from the volcano to avoid volcanic ash.
Stay indoors until the ash has settled unless there is a danger of the roof collapsing.
Close doors, windows, and all ventilation in the house (chimney vents, furnaces, air conditioners, fans, and other vents.
Clear heavy ash from flat or low-pitched roofs and rain gutters.
Avoid running car or truck engines. Driving can stir up volcanic ash that can clog engines, damage moving parts, and stall vehicles.
Avoid driving in heavy ash fall unless absolutely required. If you have to drive, keep speed down to 35 MPH or slower.
During an Eruption
Much like a tsunami, a volcano is usually a sudden, explosive disaster requiring immediate evacuation to a safer location. The rock debris, pyroclastic flows, and floods will make the area around the volcano dangerous to anyone that stays. The lower valleys will be most dangerous.
Follow the directions of authorities.
Take your family emergency kit and evacuate.
Evacuate to an area upwind rather than downwind if possible.
When evacuating, if you are in a valley, or close to a stream, or crossing a bridge, check upstream for mudflows. A mud flow is extremely heavy and can destroy a bridge quickly. Take a different route or get to high ground quickly - mudflows can be extremely fast too.
If you are unable to evacuate,
Seek shelter indoors if possible.
Close all windows and doors to keep ash out. Seal up drafts. Do what you can to keep ash out.
Seek higher ground - flash floods, mud, and poisonous gasses will accumulate in low-lying areas.
Put on long pants, long-sleeved shirt, and hat.
Wear a dust mask or wetted handkerchief to help filter ash.
Leave your vehicles turned off until the eruption has ended and the dust can settle. Ash destroyed many vehicle engines during the Mount St. Helens eruption.
Recovering from a Volcano Disaster
Recovering from a disaster is usually a gradual process. Safety is a primary issue, as are mental and physical well-being. If assistance is available, knowing how to access it makes the process faster and less stressful. This section offers some general advice on steps to take after disaster strikes in order to begin getting your home, your community, and your life back to normal.
by Nicole Allan - Nicole Allan is an editorial assistant at Atlantic Media, where she writes about business and the environment. Nicole has also written for Slate and The New Republic.
Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano has been erupting for nearly a month, but it wasn't until clouds of ash halted air traffic in Europe this week that the eruption drew global attention. The volcano could continue erupting for months on end -- the last time it blew, in 1821, the eruption lasted for two years -- so climatologists are questioning whether the volcano will have a cooling effect on the earth's climate.
When volcanoes erupt, they release sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere, where the gas transforms into sulfuric acid droplets, also known as aerosols, which reflect sunlight. Historically, large volcanic eruptions have caused discernible global cooling. When Mount Pinatubo erupted in the Philippines in 1991, it emitted 17 million tons of sulfur dioxide that caused a 0.5-0.6°C drop in the Northern Hemisphere's temperature. Mexico's Mount Chichon eruption in 1982 also had a demonstrable cooling effect.
Advocates of geoengineering, or manipulating climatic elements in order to slow climate change, have suggested mimicking this cooling effect by spewing sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere. One of the flaws in their argument, in addition to the need for an 18-mile-long vertical hose, is that sulfur dioxide is not all fun and cooling games. The gas also causes acid rain and wears away the ozone layer, a key barrier to the sun's rays.
At this point, scientists at this point think Iceland's eruption is too small to cause cooling -- notwithstanding the massive disruptions it is causing to air travel in northern Europe. If Eyjafjallajokull continues to spew gas into the atmosphere, though, that could change. The eruption is already ten times more powerful than a different Icelandic one last month, and the ash cloud extends seven miles into the stratosphere -- so at least the sunsets are pretty.
THE INFLUENCE OF VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS ON
THE OZONE, GREENHOUSE, AND HAZE EFFECTS
Volcanic eruptions can enhance all three of these climate effects to variable degrees. They contribute to ozone depletion, as well as to both cooling and warming of the earth's atmosphere. The role of volcanic eruptions on each climate effect is described below.
INFLUENCE ON THE OZONE EFFECT:
The halide acid HCl has been shown to be effective in destroying ozone; however, the latest studies show that most volcanic HCl is confined to the troposphere (below the stratosphere), where it is washed out by rain. Thus, it never has the opportunity to react with ozone. On the other hand, satellite data after the 1991 eruptions of Mt.Pinatubo (the Philippines) and Mt. Hudson (Chile) showed a 15-20% ozone loss at high latitudes, and a greater than 50% loss over the Antarctic! Thus, it appears that volcanic eruptions can play a significant role in reducing ozone levels. However, it is an indirect role, which cannot be directly attributed to volcanic HCl. Eruption-generated particles, or aerosols, appear to provide surfaces upon which chemical reactions take place. The particles themselves do not contribute to ozone destruction, but they interact with chlorine- and bromine-bearing compounds from human-made CFCs. Fortunately, volcanic particles will settle out of the stratosphere in two or three years, so that the effects of volcanic eruptions on ozone depletion are short lived. Although volcanic aerosols provide a catalyst for ozone depletion, the real culprits in destroying ozone are human-generated CFCs. Scientists expect the ozone layer to recover due to restrictions on CFCs and other ozone-depleting chemicals by the United Nations Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. However, future volcanic eruptions will cause fluctuations in the recovery process.
INFLUENCE ON THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT:
Volcanic eruptions can enhance global warming by adding CO2 to the atmosphere. However, a far greater amount of CO2 is contributed to the atmosphere by human activities each year than by volcanic eruptions. T.M.Gerlach (1991, American Geophysical Union) notes that human-made CO2 exceeds the estimated global release of CO2 from volcanoes by at least 150 times. The small amount of global warming caused by eruption-generated greenhouse gases is offset by the far greater amount of global cooling caused by eruption-generated particles in the stratosphere (the haze effect). Greenhouse warming of the earth has been particularly evident since 1980. Without the cooling influence of such eruptions as El Chichon (1982) and Mt. Pinatubo (1991), described below, greenhouse warming would have been more pronounced.
INFLUENCE ON THE HAZE EFFECT:
Volcanic eruptions enhance the haze effect to a greater extent than the greenhouse effect, and thus they can lower mean global temperatures. It was thought for many years that the greatest volcanic contribution of the haze effect was from the suspended ash particles in the upper atmosphere that would block out solar radiation. However, these ideas changed in the 1982 after the eruption of the Mexican volcano, El Chichon. Although the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens lowered global temperatures by 0.1OC, the much smaller eruption of El Chichon lowered global temperatures three to five times as much. Although the Mt. St. Helens blast emitted a greater amount of ash in the stratosphere, the El Chichon eruption emitted a much greater volume of sulfur-rich gases (40x more). It appears that the volume of pyroclastic debris emitted during a blast is not the best criteria to measure its effects on the atmosphere. The amount of sulfur-rich gases appears to be more important. Sulfur combines with water vapor in the stratosphere to form dense clouds of tiny sulfuric acid droplets. These droplets take several years to settle out and they are capable to decreasing the troposphere temperatures because they absorb solar radiation and scatter it back to space.
EXAMPLES OF GLOBAL COOLING IN THE AFTERMATH OF HISTORIC ERUPTIONS:
Observational evidence shows a clear correlation between historic eruptions and subsequent years of cold climate conditions. Four well-known historic examples are described below.
LAKI (1783) -- The eastern U.S. recorded the lowest-ever winter average temperature in 1783-84, about 4.8OC below the 225-year average. Europe also experienced an abnormally severe winter. Benjamin Franklin suggested that these cold conditions resulted from the blocking out of sunlight by dust and gases created by the Iceland Laki eruption in 1783. The Laki eruption was the largest outpouring of basalt lava in historic times. Franklin's hypothesis is consistent with modern scientific theory, which suggests that large volumes of SO2 are the main culprit in haze-effect global cooling.
TAMBORA (1815) -- Thirty years later, in 1815, the eruption of Mt. Tambora, Indonesia, resulted in an extremely cold spring and summer in 1816, which became known as the year without a summer. The Tambora eruption is believed to be the largest of the last ten thousand years. New England and Europe were hit exceptionally hard. Snowfalls and frost occurred in June, July and August and all but the hardiest grains were destroyed. Destruction of the corn crop forced farmers to slaughter their animals. Soup kitchens were opened to feed the hungry. Sea ice migrated across Atlantic shipping lanes, and alpine glaciers advanced down mountain slopes to exceptionally low elevations.
KRAKATAU (1883) -- Eruption of the Indonesian volcano Krakatau in August 1883 generated twenty times the volume of tephra released by the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens. Krakatau was the second largest eruption in history, dwarfed only by the eruption of neighboring Tambora in 1815 (see above). For months after the Krakatau eruption, the world experienced unseasonably cool weather, brilliant sunsets, and prolonged twilights due to the spread of aerosols throughout the stratosphere. The brilliant sunsets are typical of atmospheric haze. The unusual and prolonged sunsets generated considerable contemporary debate on their origin.They also provided inspiration for artists who dipicted the vibrant nature of the sunsets in several late 19th-century paintings, two of which are noted here.
In London, the Krakatau sunsets were clearly distinct from the familiar red sunsets seen through the smoke-laden atmosphere of the city. This is demonstrated in the painting shown here of a sunset from the banks of the Thames River, created by artist William Ascroft on November 26, 1883.
The vivid red sky in Edvard Munch's painting "The Scream" was inspired by the vibrant twilights in Norway, his native land.
For a more thorough description of the 1883 eruption, see Krakatau.
PINATUBO (1991) -- Mt. Pinatubo erupted in the Philippines on June 15, 1991, and one month later Mt. Hudson in southern Chile also erupted. The Pinatubo eruption produced the largest sulfur oxide cloud this century. The combined aerosol plume of Mt. Pinatubo and Mt. Hudson diffused around the globe in a matter of months. The data collected after these eruptions show that mean world temperatures decreased by about 1 degree Centigrade over the subsequent two years. This cooling effect was welcomed by many scientists who saw it as a counter-balance to global warming.
Scientists have discovered a layer of volcanic ash and glass shards in Antarctica, evidence of an old eruption by a still active volcano that researchers believe may be contributing to the thinning of Antarctic glacial ice.
Hugh F.J. Corr and David G. Vaughan, two scientists with the British Antarctic Survey, recently published their discovery of the volcanic layer in the journal Nature Geoscience. The discovery is unique according to Dr. Vaughan. He said “This is the first time we have seen a volcano beneath the ice sheet punch a hole through the ice sheet.”
The volcano’s heat could possibly be melting and thinning the ice and raising the speed of the Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica.
But while the Pine Island Glacier may be thinning because of the volcano, it’s highly unlikely the thinning of Antarctica’s ice sheet as a whole can be blamed on hidden volcanoes. For one thing, Antarctica has very few active volcanoes. Most glacial scientists, including Dr. Vaughan himself, blame warmer ocean waters for glacial thinning in West Antarctica.
The ash and glass layer the scientists discovered was most likely deposited around the time of Alexander the Great. The eruption would have exploded upwards, pushing through hundreds of metres of ice, spraying ash and volcanic glass shards all over the land surrounding it. Two millennia of snows have covered the volcanic layer, but recent radar surveys found it.
In fact, radar teams discovered the layer in 2004 and 2005, but the reflected radar waves from the layer were so strong they thought it was actual bedrock. A more recent radar survey with improved equipment meant the team discovered the actual bedrock, and thus the layer above it.
The thickness of the ice above the layer mean that the scientists could date it to roughly 200 B.C., plus or minus 240 years or so. But the researchers think they can narrow it down more than that. From previous examinations of ice cores, they knew that a volcano had erupted in Antarctica some time around 325 B.C., although they had not known where the eruption had happened. Dr. Vaughan said: “We’re fairly confident this is the same eruption.”
Celebrate the 260 day Mayan calendar and the 360 day calendar! Olmec, Aztec and the Maya human beings used this calendar before they were conquered. This is a spiritual calendar showing the sequence of energies which are "day." See for yourself.
By entering this 2012 web site, in exchange for use of this website, you the user hereby agree to the following:
The content of this website is for mature viewers only and may not be suitable for minors. If you are a minor or it is illegal for you to view nudity or mature images and language, do not proceed.
This site is presented to you AS IS, with no warranty, express or implied. By clicking "I Agree" and then viewing our site, you agree not to hold the webmaster and staff of this site (2012thetruth.com) liable for any damages from your use of these pages.
As a condition of using this site, you must fully read and understand, and comply with the rules of this site, which may be located by following the "Rules" link on the home page (2012thetruth.com).
[PLEASE NOTE: The articles released, posted, published OR issued by 2012thetruth.com. Any errors, typos, etc. are attributed to the original author. The Articles releases or reproduced solely for the dissemination of the enclosed information.] We are not responsible for your beliefs or ideas about 2012 or 12-21-2012, December 21, 2012, Doomsday, Armageddon, apocalypse.
NOTICE: 2012 News stories appear in new browser windows. Actual 2012 Paranormal and 2-12 News Stories are not archived on this web site; links may expire without notice. Increasingly more sites require registration, changes occur daily and from site to site, and smart browsers that remember logins make it impossible to point out which sites require it and which don't. Nor can we copy full real 2012 Paranormal Abnormal or Breaking News stories to our site without infringing copyright laws. If a link is dead we apologize for the inconvenience. So please don't let it haunt you for too long! 2012thetruth.com is not responsible for the content of external internet sites!
