Newswise — The Icelandic volcano eruption has closed down all airports in the United Kingdom, Belgium and northern Germany, affecting air traffic all over Europe and transatlantic flights from the US.
A 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. Michigan Tech is known for its research in volcanology.
Dr. Simon A. Carn, assistant professor in Michigan Tech's geological and mining engineering and sciences department, who hails from the UK, is monitoring the cloud from the eruption via satellite, focusing on the ash and the sulfur dioxide it contains. Other possible impacts of the eruption depend on sulfur dioxide emissions, which can become sulfuric acid, reflecting sunlight and causing cooling. So far that’s not happening with this event, but if the ash falls on the ground, it can also be an environmental and health hazard, he says.
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