low graphics version | feedback | help
| Front Page World |
| UK |
|
Northern Ireland Scotland Wales |
| UK Politics Business Sci/Tech Health Education Sport Entertainment Talking Point In Depth AudioVideo |
|
 |
 Weather forecaster Heather Reid"The main hazard with dust clouds is for aviation"  real 28k  Weather forecaster Lex Williamson"It could be quite spectacular. We might even get a halo round the sun"  real 28k |
Volcano ash heading for Scotland
The exclusion covers some of the world's busiest air lanes
A cloud of volcanic ash is due to pass over northern Scotland, possibly causing a spectacular sunset, but no real danger.
Spewed from the crater of Iceland's most active volcano, Mount Hekla, the ash is being blown across the Atlantic towards Scotland, some 650 miles away.
The volcano erupted on Saturday, sending ash 30,000 ft into the air.
The Met. Office has issued a warning to aircraft to steer clear of the huge plume of ash.
Exclusion zone
An exclusion zone covering 120,000 square miles has been enforced in the area, which includes some of the world's busiest air lanes.
Experts say that the ash, which is not thought to be a threat to human beings, is a danger to aircraft and could also affect sunlight in the British Isles over the next few days.
Met Office spokesman Lex Williamson from the Glasgow Weather Centre said: " We get these from time to time.
Spewed from the crater of Iceland's most active volcano, Mount Hekla, the ash is being blown across the Atlantic towards Scotland, some 650 miles away.
The volcano erupted on Saturday, sending ash 30,000 ft into the air.
The Met. Office has issued a warning to aircraft to steer clear of the huge plume of ash.
Exclusion zone
An exclusion zone covering 120,000 square miles has been enforced in the area, which includes some of the world's busiest air lanes.
Experts say that the ash, which is not thought to be a threat to human beings, is a danger to aircraft and could also affect sunlight in the British Isles over the next few days.
Met Office spokesman Lex Williamson from the Glasgow Weather Centre said: " We get these from time to time.
 Hot ash plumed several kilometres into the air
|
"We may find dust falling in rain which you would see on cars or streets when they dry out. There is also the possibility of dirty snow, with the dust mixed in"
The volcano, one of the highest in Europe, has erupted more than 20 times since the 11th century.
In Icelandic folklore, it was believed to be one of the gates to purgatory.
Acid rain
At various time in the past Icelandic eruptions have sent ash, acid rain and sulphurous gases showering down over Scotland, sometimes with serious consequences.
But Edinburgh University vulcanologist Dr Andrew Dugmore said the current activity in Hekla is not on that scale: "By Icelandic standards this is a fairly small-scale event.
"The pattern with Mount Hekla is that the vast majority of the ash blasted into the atmosphere occurs within the first three hours, although lava can continue flowing for weeks or months".
The volcano, one of the highest in Europe, has erupted more than 20 times since the 11th century.
In Icelandic folklore, it was believed to be one of the gates to purgatory.
Acid rain
At various time in the past Icelandic eruptions have sent ash, acid rain and sulphurous gases showering down over Scotland, sometimes with serious consequences.
But Edinburgh University vulcanologist Dr Andrew Dugmore said the current activity in Hekla is not on that scale: "By Icelandic standards this is a fairly small-scale event.
"The pattern with Mount Hekla is that the vast majority of the ash blasted into the atmosphere occurs within the first three hours, although lava can continue flowing for weeks or months".
 Loch Ness sediments prove Iceland eruptions blew ash to Scotland
|
Around 1,000 BC, a serious Icelandic eruption caused the "first Highland clearances" when acid rain killed off Bronze Age farmers' crops, causing a famine and forcing them to flee the north.
Four years ago archaeologists found clear evidence that a glen near Lairg, in Sutherland, had been hurriedly depopulated and spotted tell-tale signs of volcanic ash amongst the excavated remains of ancient settlements.
The last major Icelandic eruption to affect Scotland was in the the summer of 1783, which became known as the "Year of the Ashie" in Caithness, when growing crops were burned as a result.
Toxic fumes
A massive outpouring from the Laki fissure, one of the world's biggest recorded volcanic occurrences, sent a fog with ill-smelling sulphurous toxic fumes down over Western Europe and even over the Alps to Northern Italy.
One in four of Iceland's people died, but the eruption caused many deaths amongst elderly and very young asthma sufferers on that occasion.
Muddy sediments recovered from beneath the floor of Loch Ness show at least a dozen layers of "tephra", as scientists call volcanic ash, have accumulated from Icelandic eruptions over the past 8,000 years.
Four years ago archaeologists found clear evidence that a glen near Lairg, in Sutherland, had been hurriedly depopulated and spotted tell-tale signs of volcanic ash amongst the excavated remains of ancient settlements.
The last major Icelandic eruption to affect Scotland was in the the summer of 1783, which became known as the "Year of the Ashie" in Caithness, when growing crops were burned as a result.
Toxic fumes
A massive outpouring from the Laki fissure, one of the world's biggest recorded volcanic occurrences, sent a fog with ill-smelling sulphurous toxic fumes down over Western Europe and even over the Alps to Northern Italy.
One in four of Iceland's people died, but the eruption caused many deaths amongst elderly and very young asthma sufferers on that occasion.
Muddy sediments recovered from beneath the floor of Loch Ness show at least a dozen layers of "tephra", as scientists call volcanic ash, have accumulated from Icelandic eruptions over the past 8,000 years.
|
Search BBC News Online |
|
|
 Advanced search options | |
| |
 | |
 | |
| |
|
| BBC RADIO NEWS |
| |
| |
|
| BBC ONE TV NEWS |
| |
| |
| WORLD NEWS SUMMARY |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| PROGRAMMES GUIDE |
See also:
Internet links:
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
Links to other Scotland stories are at the foot of the page.
E-mail this story to a friend
~RS~a~RS~international~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~47~RS~)