This Volcano Hates You

The eruption of a large volcano in the southern part of Iceland, a country that has already endured enough hardship as a result of the global economic meltdown, is causing a meltdown of a different kind. The magma from the volcano, called Eyjafjallajokull, has seriously meted a glacier and caused flooding in the region. But the effects of the Eyjafjallajokull eruption has gone far beyond Iceland. The ash plume from the volcano has clouded the air over northern Europe and has grounded passenger jet planes in London and Frankfurt, among other cities. Overall, seventeen thousand flights have been canceled, and the ripple effect has disrupted flight schedules in New York, Delhi, Singapore, and many other cities that serve as hubs for international flights. Not since the World Trade Center in New York was blown to kingdom come in 2001 has air travel been disrupted so thoroughly and so widely.

The ash has hung in the air at an altitude between 20,000 and 36,000 feet - precisely where passenger jets fly - but it's not just visibility that's cause for concern. The ash can get into the turbines of airplanes and screw up their components, causing problems for the mechanism as well. Bottom line: It's just not safe. Airlines dependent on international travel will simply have to wait until Eyjafjallajokull (I love repeating that name!) stops erupting and the ash plume disappears. When will that happen? Well, that's the punch line. Scientists have absolutely no idea. It began erupting nearly three weeks ago, reachin critical mass this past Wednesday.

My British ladyfriend Therisa's brother is an airline pilot back in the mother country, and though he doesn't have to worry about being hijacked by someone who wants the plane flown to Luton ;-) , he won't be flying anywhere any time soon. I'm certain he'll take advantage of his unexpected vacation and enjoy himself, and he will return to work eventually, but he's hardly alone. As for the airline industry itself, well, globally speaking, I heard it's losing $200 million a day during this natural disaster.

The Eyjafjallajokull crisis will pass for Iceland. It could take awhile, though, for the Icelandic people to recover from the man-made economic disaster that put their country in the ditch.