Breaking News: Volcanoes

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The dark clouds of volcanic ash that have closed airports and stranded travelers for days on end may have a silver lining, suggests an expert on human creativity from Washington University in St. Louis. Like it or note, stranded travelers around the globe are suddenly finding themselves with a lot of unscheduled time on their hands, and idle time is a key ingredient to becoming more creative in your personal and professional lives, says R. Keith Sawyer, PhD, an associate professor of education and of psychology, both in Arts & Sciences at Washington University.

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Iceland is the only place on Earth where land sits atop a mid-ocean spreading center, says Sheila Seaman, professor of geosciences. Eyjafjallajokull’s eruption is of particular interest because it contains a lightweight, light-colored material which “has no reason whatsoever for being there.”

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The Icelandic volcano eruption has closed down all airports in the United Kingdom, Belgium and northern Germany, which affects air traffic all over Europe and transatlantic flights from the US. One Michigan Technological University professor says it’s important to track the cloud not only to monitor its impact on aviation but also because of the gases within.