Iceland Volcano blocked UK airspace
2010/04/16

The massive Eyjafjallajökull volcano in southeast Iceland erupted violently, releasing very thick ash clouds towards Europe. The ash cloud, which blocked air traffic in a number of major airports in the UK, is visible in this April 15th MODIS sensor of the Terra satellite image. See the few hundred of km wide yellowish cloud line. Ash flow has travelled more than 1000km and reached the UK, making the airspace unsuitable for traffic. According to a NASA document, volcanic ash consists of tiny jagged particles of rock and may cause engine failure in aircraft. But, radar is not capable to detect this deadly ash clouds. Though the volcano gave no deaths apart from health risks, the economic impact on the UK will be very high, as over 1 million passengers have stranded.